UC-NRLF 


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iiinii; 

iiii 

iiiiilplii 
mi  !i  n!!i'i!  !i!  liai 

!  11  !i  '  iiililiiif 
liiitini  'iiinii  Miia 


•ERICELEY 

LIBRARY 

UWIVERS!TY  OF     J  | 

CALIFORNIA      M  \ 


MlnBtvutth  (dahtot  Ebtttott 


MILES  WALLINGFORD 


By 


James  Fenimore  Cooper 


Boston 
Dana  Estes  &  Company 

PiiblUhers 


?S)409 

iqoo 


UNDER6RAD. 
LIBRARY 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


MILES   WALLINGFORD 

PAGE 

The  recognition Frontispiece 

Photogravure  from  Darley  steel  plate 

I  FOUND  Grace  reclining  on  the  settee      ...       96 
Photogravure  from  a  French  engraving 

Neb    seized   the   hawser  and   hauled    the   launch 

ABOARD  355 

Photogravure  from  Darley  steel  plate 


PREFACE, 


The  conclusion  of  this  tale  requires  but  little  preface. 
Many  persons  may  think  that  there  is  too  much  of  an  old 
man's  despondency  in  a  few  of  the  opinions  of  this  portion 
of  the  work ;  but  after  sixty  it  is  seldom  we  view  the  things 
of  this  world  en  beau.  There  are  certain  political  allusions, 
very  few  in  number,  but  pretty  strong  in  language,  that  the 
signs  of  the  times  fully  justify  in  the  editor's  judgment; 
though  he  does  not  profess  to  give  his  own  sentiments  in 
this  wo:k,  so  much  as  those  of  the  subject  of  the  narrative 
himself.  "  The  anti-rent  combination,"  for  instance,  will 
prove,  according  to  the  editor's  conjectures,  to  be  one  of  two 
things  in  this  community — the  commencement  of  a  dire  revo- 
lution or  the  commencement  of  a  return  to  the  sounder  no- 
tions and  juster  principles  that  prevailed  among  us  thirty 
years  since,  than  certainly  prevail  to-day.  There  is  one 
favorable  symptom  discoverable  in  the  deep-seated  disease 
that  pervades  the  social  system ;  men  dare  and  do  deal  more 
honestly  and  frankly  with  the  condition  of  society  in  this 
country  than  was  done  a  few  years  since.  This  right,  one 
that  ought  to  be  most  dear  to  every  freeman,  has  been  recov- 
ered only  by  painful  sacrifices  and  a  stern  resolution ;  but 
recovered  it  has  been,  in  some  measure;  and  were  the  pens 
of  the  country  true  to  their  owners'  privileges,  we  should 
soon  come  to  a  just  view  of  the  sacred  nature  of  private 
character,  as  well  as  the  target-like  vulnerability  of  public 
follies  and  public  vice.  It  is  certain  that,  for  a  series  of 
dangerous  years,  notions  ^ust  the  reverse  of  this  have  pre- 
vailed among  us,  gradually  rendering  the  American  press 


6  PREFACE. 

equally  the  vehicle  of  the  most  atrocious  personal  calumny, 
and  the  most  flatulent  national  self-adulation.  It  is  under 
such  a  state  of  things  that  the  few  evils  alluded  to  in  this 
work  have  had  their  rise.  Bodies  of  men,  however  ignorant 
or  small,  have  come  to  consider  themselves  as  integral  por- 
tions of  a  community  that  never  errs,  and,  consequently,  en- 
titled to  esteem  themselves  infallible.  When  in  debt,  they 
have  fancied  it  political  liberty  to  pay  their  debts  by  the 
strong  hand ;  a  very  easy  transition  for  those  who  believe 
themselves  able  to  effect  all  their  objects.  The  disease  has 
already  passed  out  of  New  York  into  Pennsylvania;  it  will 
spread,  like  any  other  epidemic,  throughout  the  country; 
and  there  will  soon  be  a  severe  struggle  among  us,  between 
the  knave  and  the  honest  man.  Let  the  class  of  the  latter 
look  to  it.  It  is  to  be  hoped  it  is  still  sufficiently  powerful 
to  conquer. 

These  few  remarks  are  made  in  explanation  of  certain 
opinions  of  Mr.  Wallingford,  that  have  been  extorted  from 
him  by  the  events  of  the  day,  as  he  was  preparing  this  work 
for  the  press,  remarks  that  might  seem  out  of  place,  were  it 
not  a  part  of  his  original  plan,  which  contemplated  enlarg- 
ing far  more  than  he  has,  indeed,  on  some  of  the  prominent 
peculiarities  of  the  state  of  society  in  which  he  has  passed 
the  greater  part  of  his  days. 


MILES  WALLINGFORD, 


CHAPTER   I. 

But  I'll  not  chide  thee ; 
Let  shame  come  when  it  will,  I  do  not  call  it ; 
I  do  not  bid  the  thunder-bearer  shoot, 
Nor  tell  tales  of  thee  to  high-judging  Jove ; 
Mend  when  thou  canst — 

Lear. 

It  is  almost  as  impossible  to  describe  minutely  what  oc- 
curred on  the  boat's  reaching  the  Wallingford,  as  to  describe 
all  the  terrific  incidents  of  the  struggle  between  Drewett 
and  myself  in  the  water.  I  had  sufficient  perception,  how- 
ever, to  see,  as  I  was  assisted  on  board  by  Mr.  Hardinge 
and  Neb,  that  Lucy  was  not  on  deck.  She  had  probably 
gone  to  join  Grace,  with  a  view  to  be  in  readiness  for  meet- 
ing the  dire  intelligence  that  was  expected.  I  afterward 
learned  that  she  was  long  on  her  knees  in  the  after-cabin, 
engaged  in  that  convulsive  prayer  which  is  apt  to  accom- 
pany sudden  and  extreme  distress  in  those  who  appeal  to 
God  in  their  agony. 

During  the  brief  moments,  and  they  were  but  mere  par- 
ticles of  time,  if  one  can  use  such  an  expression,  in  which 
my  senses  could  catch  anything  beyond  the  horrid  scene  in 
which  I  was  so  closely  engaged,  I  had  heard  shrill  screams 
from  the  lungs  of  Chloe;  but  Lucy's  voice  had  not  mingled 
in  the  outcry.  Even  now,  as  we  were  raised,  or  aided,  to 
the  deck,  the  former  stood,  with  her  face  gl  istening  with 
tears,  half  convulsed  with  terror  and  half  expanding  with 
delight,  uncertain  whether  to  laugh  or  to  weep,  looking  first 


8  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

at  her  master  and  then  at  her  own  admirer,  until  her  feel- 
ings found  a  vent  in  the  old  exclamation  of  "de  feller! " 

It  was  fortunate  for  Andrew  Drewett  that  a  man  of  Post's 
experience  and  steadiness  was  with  us.  No  sooner  was  the 
seemingly  lifeless  body  on  board,  than  Mr.  Hardinge  or- 
dered the  water-cask  to  be  got  out;  and  he  and  Marble 
would  have  soon  been  rolling  the  poor  fellow  with  all  their 
might,  or  holding  him  up  by  the  heels,  under  the  notion 
that  the  water  he  had  swallowed  must  be  got  out  of  him, 
before  he  could  again  breathe;  but  the  authority  of  one  so 
high  in  the  profession  soon  put  a  stop  to  this.  Drewett's 
wet  clothes  were  immediately  removed,  blankets  were 
warmed  at  the  galley,  and  the  most  judicious  means  were 
resorted  to,  in  order  to  restore  the  circulation.  The  physi- 
cian soon  detected  signs  of  life,  and,  ordering  all  but  one  or 
two  assistants  to  leave  the  spot,  in  ten  minutes  Drew6tt 
was  placed  in  a  warm  bed,  and  might  be  considered  out  of 
danger. 

The  terrific  scene  enacted  so  directly  before  his  eyes, 
produced  an  effect  on  the  AUonny  man,  who  consented  to 
haul  aft  his  main-sheet,  lower  his  studding-sail  and  topsail, 
come  by  the  wind,  stand  across  to  the  Wallingford,  heave- 
to,  and  lower  a  boat.  This  occurred  just  as  Drewett  was 
taken  below;  and,  a  minute  later,  old  Mrs.  Drewett  and  her 
two  daughters,  Helen  and  Caroline,  were  brought  alongside 
of  us.  The  fears  of  these  tender  relatives  were  allayed  by 
my  report;  for,  by  this  time,  I  could  both  talk  and  walk; 
and  Post  raised  no  objection  to  their  being  permitted  to  go 
below.  I  seized  that  opportunity  to  jump  down  into  the 
sloop's  hold,  where  Neb  brought  me  some  dry  clothes;  and 
I  was  soon  in  a  warm,  delightful  glow,  that  contributed  in 
no  small  degree  to  my  comfort.  So  desperate  had  been  my 
struggles,  however,  that  it  took  a  good  night's  rest  com- 
pletely to  restore  the  tone  of  my  nerves  and  all  my  strength. 
My  arrangements  were  barely  completed,  when  I  was  sum- 
moned to  the  cabin. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  9 

Grace  met  me  with  extended  arms.  She  wept  on  my 
bosom  for  many  minutes.  She  was  dreadfully  agitated  as  it 
was;  though  happily  she  knew  nothing  of  the  cause  of 
Chloe's  screams,  and  of  the  confusion  on  deck,  until  I  was 
known  to  be  safe.  Then  Lucy  communicated  all  the  facts 
to  her  in  as  considerate  a  manner  as  her  own  kind  and 
gentle  nature  could  dictate.  I  was  sent  for,  as  just  stated, 
and  caressec'  like  any  other  precious  thing  that  its  owner 
had  supposed  itself  about  to  lose.  We  were  still  in  an  agi- 
tated state,  when  Mr.  Hardinge  appeared  at  the  door  of  the 
cabin,  with  a  prayer-book  in  his  hand.  He  demanded  our 
attention,  all  kneeling  in  both  cabins,  while  the  good, 
simple-minded  old  man  read  some  of  the  collects,  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  and  concluded  with  the  thanksgiving  for  "  a  safe 
return  from  sea  " !  He  would  have  given  us  the  marriage 
ceremony  itself,  before  he  would  have  gone  out  of  the 
prayer-book  for  any  united  worship  whatever. 

It  was  impossible  not  to  smile  at  this  last  act  of  pious 
simplicity,  while  it  was  equally  impossible  not  to  be  touched 
with  such  an  evidence  of  sincere  devotion.  The  offering 
had  a  soothing  influence  on  all  our  feelings,  and  most  espe- 
cially on  those  of  the  excited  females.  As  I  came  out  into 
the  main  cabin,  after  this  act  of  devotion,  the  excellent 
divine  took  me  in  his  arms,  kissed  me  just  as  he  had  been 
used  to  do  when  a  boy,  and  blessed  me  aloud.  I  confess  I 
was  obliged  to  rush  on  deck  to  conceal  my  emotion. 

In  a  few  minutes  I  became  sufficiently  composed  to  order 
sail  made  on  our  course,  when  we  followed  the  Orpheus  up 
the  river,  soon  passing  her,  and  taking  care  to  give  her  a 
wide  berth — a  precaution  I  long  regretted  not  having  used 
at  first.  As  Mrs.  Drewett  and  her  two  daughters  refused  to 
quit  Andrew,  we  had  the  whole  family  added  to  our  party, 
as  it  might  be,  perforce.  I  confess  to  having  been  suffi- 
ciently selfish  to  complain  a  little,  to  myself  only,  however, 
at  always  finding  these  people  in  my  way,  during  the  brief 
intervals  I  now  enjoyed  of  being  near  Lucy.     As  there  was 


lO  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

no  help,  after  seeing  all  the  canvas  spread,  I  took  a  seat  in 
one  of  the  chairs  that  stood  on  the  main  deck,  and  began, 
for  the  first  time,  coolly  to  ponder  on  all  that  had  just 
passed.  While  thus  occupied,  Marble  drew  a  chair  to  my 
side,  gave  me  a  cordial  squeeze  of  the  hand,  and  began  to 
converse.  At  this  moment,  neatly  tricked  out  in  dry  clothes, 
stood  Neb  on  the  forecastle,  with  his  arms  folded,  sailor- 
fashion,  as  calm  as  if  he  had  never  felt  the  wind  blow ;  oc- 
casionally giving  in,  however,  under  the  influence  of  Chloe's 
smiles  and  unsophisticated  admiration.  In  these  moments 
of  weakness,  the  black  would  bow  his  head,  give  vent  to  a 
short  laugh,  when,  suddenly  recovering  himself,  he  would  en- 
deavor to  appear  dignified.  While  this  pantomime  was  in  the 
course  of  exhibition  forward,  the  discourse  aft  did  not  flag. 

"Providence  intends  you  for  something  remarkable, 
Miles,"  my  mate  continued,  after  one  or  two  brief  expres- 
sions of  his  satisfaction  at  my  safety ;  "  something  uncom- 
monly remarkable,  depend  on  it.  First,  you  were  spared  in 
the  boat  off  the  Isle  of  Bourbon ;  then,  in  another  boat  off 
Delaware  Bay ;  next,  you  got  rid  of  the  Frenchman  so  dex- 
terously in  the  British  Channel;  after  that,  there  was  the 
turn-up  with  the  bloody  Smudge  and  his  companions ;  next 
comes  the  recapture  of  the  Crisis;  sixthly,  as  one  might  say, 
you  picked  me  up  at  sea,  a  runaway  hermit ;  and  now  here, 
this  very  day,  seventhly  and  lastly,  are  you  sitting  safe  and 
sound,  after  carrying  as  regular  a  lubber  as  ever  fell  over- 
board, on  your  head  and  shoulders,  down  to  the  bottom  of 
the  Hudson  no  less  than  three  times !  I  consider  you  to  be 
the  only  man  living  who  ever  sank  his  three  times,  and 
came  up  to  tell  of  it  with  his  own  tongue." 

"  I  am  not  at  all  conscious  of  having  said  one  word  about 
it,  Moses,"  I  retorted,  a  little  dryly. 

"  Every  motion,  every  glance  of  your  eye,  boy,  tells  the 
story.  No ;  Providence  intends  you  for  something  remark- 
able, you  may  rely  on  that.  One  of  these  days  you  may  go 
to  Congress — who  knows  ?  " 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  II 

"  By  the  same  rule,  you  are  to  be  included,  then ;  for  in 
most  of  my  adventures  you  have  been  a  sharer,  besides 
having  quantities  that  are  exclusively  your  own.  Remem- 
ber, you  have  even  been  a  hermit." 

"  Hu-s-h — not  a  syllable  about  it,  or  the  children  would 
run  after  me  as  a  sight.  You  must  have  generalized  in  a  re- 
markable way.  Miles,  after  you  sunk  the  last  time,  without 
much  hope  ol  coming  up  again?  " 

"  Indeed,  my  friend,  you  are  quite  right  in  your  conjec- 
ture. So  near  a  view  of  death  is  apt  to  make  us  all  take 
rapid  and  wide  views  of  the  past.  I  believe  it  even  crossed 
my  mind  iYi2.t  you  would  miss  me  sadly." 

"  Ay,"  returned  Marble,  with  feeling,  "  them  are  the  mo- 
ments to  bring  out  the  truth !  Not  a  juster  idee  passed  your 
brain  than  that^  Master  Miles,  I  can  assure  you.  Missed 
you !  I  would  have  bought  a  boat  and  started  for  Marble 
Land,  never  again  to  quit  it,  the  day  after  the  funeral.  But 
there  stands  your  cook,  fidgeting  and  looking  this  way,  as  if 
she  had  a  word  to  put  in  on  the  occasion.  This  expl'ite  of 
Neb's  will  set  the  niggers  up  in  the  world;  and  it  wouldn't 
surprise  me  if  it  cost  you  a  suit  of  finery  all  round." 

"  A  price  I  will  cheerfully  pay  for  my  life.  It  is  as  you 
say — Dido  certainly  wishes  to  speak  to  me,  and  I  must  give 
her  an  invitation  to  come  nearer." 

Dido  Clawbonny  was  the  cook  of  the  family,  and  the 
mother  of  Chloe.  Whatever  hypercriticism  might  object  to 
her  color,  which  was  a  black  out  of  which  all  the  gloss  had 
fairly  glistened  itself  over  the  fire,  no  one  could  deny  her 
being  full  blown.  Her  weight  was  exactly  two  hundred,  and 
her  countenance  a  strange  medley  of  the  light-heartedness 
of  her  race,  and  the  habitual  and  necessary  severity  of  a 
cook.  She  often  protested  that  she  was  weighed  down  by 
"  responsibility  " ;  the  whole  of  the  discredit  of  over-done 
beef,  or  under-done  fish,  together  with  those  which  attach 
themselves  to  heavy  bresyi,  lead-like  buckwheat  cakes,  and 
a  hundred  other  similar  cases,  belonging  exclusively  to  her 


12  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

office.  She  had  been  twice  married,  the  last  connection 
having  been  formed  only  a  twelvemonth  before.  In  obedi- 
ence to  a  sign,  this  important  lady  now  approached. 

"Welcome  back,  Masser  Mile,"  Dido  began  with  a 
curtsey,  meaning  "  Welcome  back  from  being  half  drowned  " ; 
"ebberyboddy  so  grad  you  isn't  hurt!  " 

"Thank  you,  Dido — thank  you,  with  all  my  heart.  If  I 
have  gained  nothing  else  by  the  ducking,  I  have  gained  a 
knowledge  of  the  manner  in  which  my  servants  love  me." 

"  Lor'  bless  us  all !  How  we  help  it,  Masser  Mile?  As  if 
a  body  can  posserbly  help  how  lub  come  and  go!  Lub  jest 
like  religion,  Masser  Mile — some  get  him,  and  some  don't. 
But  lub  for  a  young  masser  and  a  young  missus,  sar — dat 
jest  as  nat'ral,  as  lub  for  ole  masser  and  ole  missus.  I  t'ink 
nut'in'  of  neider." 

Luckily,  I  was  too  well  acquainted  with  the  Clawbonny 
dialect  to  need  a  vocabulary  in  order  to  understand  the 
meaning  cf  Dido.  All  she  wished  to  express  was  the  idea 
that  it  was  so  much  a  matter  of  course  for  the  dependents  of 
the  family  to  love  its  heads,  that  she  did  not  think  the  mere 
circumstance,  in  itself,  worthy  of  a  second  thought. 

"  Well,  Dido,"  I  said,  "  how  does  matrimony  agree  with 
you,  in  your  old  age?  I  hear  you  took  a  second  partner  to 
yourself,  while  I  was  last  at  sea." 

Dido  let  her  eyes  fall  on  the  deck,  according  to  the  cus- 
tom of  all  brides,  let  their  color  be  what  it  may ;  manifested 
a  proper  degree  of  confusion,  then  curtesied,  turned  her 
full-moon  face  so  as  to  resemble  a  half-moon,  and  answered, 
with  a  very  suspicious  sort  of  a  sigh — 

"Yes,  Masser  Mile,  dat  jest  so.  I  did  t'ink  to  wait  and 
ask  'e  young  masser's  consent;  but  Cupid  say" — not  the 
god  of  love,  but  an  old  negro  of  that  name,  Dido's  second 
partner — "  but  Cupid  say,  *  What  odd  he  make  to  Masser 
Mile?  he  long  way  off,  and  he  won't  care';  and  so,  sah, 
rader  than  be  tormented  so  by  Cupid,  one  had  altogedder 
better  be  married  at  once — dat  all,  sah." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 3 

"  And  that  is  quite  enough,  my  good  woman ;  that  every- 
thing may  be  in  rule,  I  give  my  consent  now,  and  most 
cheerfully." 

"T'ankee,  sah !"  dropping  a  curtsey,  and  showing  her 
teeth. 

"  Of  course  the  ceremony  was  performed  by  our  excellent 
rector,  good  Mr.  Hardinge  ?  " 

"  Sartain,  sah — no  Clawbonny  nigger  t^nk  he  marry  at  all, 
less  Masser  Hardinge  bless  him  and  say  Amen.  Ebbery- 
body  say  'e  marriage  is  as  good  as  ole  masser  and  mis- 
susses.  Dis  make  two  time  Dido  got  married;  and  both 
time  good,  lawful  ceremunny,  as  ebber  was.  Oh!  yes, 
sah!" 

"  And  I  hope  your  change  of  condition  has  proved  to  your 
mind,  Dido,  now  the  thing  is  done.  Old  Cupid  is  no  great 
matter  in  the  way  of  beauty,  certainly ;  but  he  is  an  honest, 
sober  fellow  enough." 

"  Yes,  sah,  he  dat^  no  one  can  deny.  Ah !  Masser  Mile, 
'em  'ere  step-husband,  after  all,  nebber  jest  like  a  body  own 
husband!  Cupid  berry  honest,  and  berry  sober;  but  he 
only  step-husband;  and  dat  I  tell  him  twenty  time  already, 
I  do  t'ink,  if  trut'  was  said." 

"Perhaps  you  have  now  said  it  often  enough — twenty 
times  are  quite  sufficient  to  tell  a  man  such  a  fact." 

"  Yes,  sah,"  dropping  another  curtsey,  "  if  Masser  Mile 
please." 

"  I  do  please,  and  think  you  have  told  him  that  often 
enough.  If  a  man  won't  learn  a  thing  in  twenty  lessons,  he 
is  not  worth  the  trouble  of  teaching.  So  tell  him  he's  a 
step-husband  no  more,  but  try  something  else.  I  hope  he 
makes  Chloe  a  good  father?  " 

"Lor',  sah,  he  no  Chloe's  fadder,  at  all — her  fadder  dead 
and  gone,  and  nebber  come  back.  I  want  to  say  a  word  to 
young  masser,  'bout  Chloe  and  dat  'ere  fellow,  Neb — yes, 
sah."  • 

"Well,  what  is  it,  Dido?     I  see  they  like  each  other,  and 


14  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

suppose  they  wish  to  get  married,  too.  Is  that  the  object  of 
your  visit?  If  so,  I  consent  without  waiting  to  be  asked. 
Neb  will  make  no  step-husband,  I  can  promise  you." 

"  Don't  be  in  a  hurry,  Masser  Mile,"  said  Dido,  with  an 
eagerness  that  showed  this  ready  consent  was  anything  but 
what  she  wanted.  "  Dere  many  'jection  to  Neb,  when  he 
ask  to  marry  a  young  gal  in  Chole  sitiation.  You  know, 
sah,  Chloe  now  Miss  Grace's  own  waitin'-maid.  Nobody 
else  help  her  dress,  or  do  anything  in  'e  young  missus's 
room,  dan  Chloe,  sheself — my  darter,  Chloe  Clawbonny!" 

Here  was  a  new  turn  given  to  the  affair!  It  was  "like 
master,  like  man."  Neb's  love  (or  lub^  for  that  was  just 
the  word,  and  just  the  idea,  too)  was  no  more  fated  to  run 
smooth  than  my  own ;  and  the  same  objection  lay  against 
us  both,  viz.,  want  of  gentility!  I  determined  to  say  a  good 
word  for  the  poor  fellow,  however;  while  it  would  have  been 
exceeding  the  usage  of  the  family  to  interfere  in  any  other 
manner  than  by  advice,  in  an  affair  of  the  heart. 

"If  Chloe  is  my  sister's  favorite  servant.  Dido,"  I  re- 
marked, "you  are  to  remember  that  Neb  is  mine." 

"  Dat  true,  sah,  and  so  Chloe  say ;  but  dere  great  differ- 
ence, Masser  Mile,  atween  Clawbonny  and  a  ship.  Neb 
own,  himself,  young  masser,  he  doesn't  even  lib  in  cabin, 
where  you  lib,  sah." 

"  All  that  is  true,  Dido ;  but  there  is  a  difference  of  an- 
other sort  between  a  ship  and  a  house.  The  house-servant 
may  be  more  liked  and  trusted  than  the  out-door  servant; 
but  we  think,  at  sea,  it  is  more  honorable  to  be  a  foremast- 
hand  than  to  be  in  the  cabin,  unless  as  an  officer.  I  was  a 
foremast  Jack  some  time,  myself;  and  Neb  is  only  in  such 
a  berth  as  his  master  once  filled." 

"  Dat  a  great  deal — quite  wonerful,  sah— berry  great  deal, 
and  more  dan  Chloe  can  say,  or  I  can  wish  her  to  say.  But, 
sah,  dey  say  now  Neb  has  save  'e  young  masser's  life,  young 
masser  must  gib  him  free-paper;  and  no  gal  of  mine  shall 
ebber  be  free   nigger's  wife.     No,  sah; 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 5 

dat  disgrace,  which  too  much  for  fait'ful  ole  servant  to 
bear!" 

"  I  am  afraid,  Dido,  Neb  is  the  same  way  of  thinking.  I 
offered  him  his  freedom,  the  other  day,  and  he  refused  to 
receive  it.  Times  are  changing  in  this  country;  and  it  will 
be  thought,  soon,  it  is  more  creditable  for  a  black  to  be 
free,  than  to  be  any  man's  slave.  The  law  means  to  free 
all  hands  of  you,  one  of  these  days." 

"  Nebber  tell  me  dat,  Masser  Mile — dat  day  nebber  come 
for  me  or  mine ;  even  ole  Cupid  know  better  dan  dat.  Now, 
sah,  Misser  Van  Blarcum's  Brom  want  to  have  Chloe, 
dreadful;  but  I  nebber  consent  to  sich  a  uner" — Dido 
meant  union — "nebber.  Our  family,  sah,  altogedder  too 
good  to  marry  in  among  the  Van  Blarcums.  Nebber  has 
been,  and  never  shall  be  uner  atween  'em." 

"  I  was  not  aware.  Dido,  that  the  Clawbonny  slaves  were 
so  particular  about  their  connections." 

"  Won'erful  particular,  sah,  and  ebber  hab  been,  and  eb- 
ber  will  be.  Don't  t'ink,  Masser  Mile,  I  marry  ole  Cupid, 
myself,  if  anoder  prop'r  connection  offer  in  'e  family ;  but  I 
prefar  him,  to  marry  into  any  oder  family  hereabout." 

"  Neb  is  Clawbonny,  and  my  great  friend ;  so  I  hope  you 
will  think  better  of  his  suit.  Some  day  Chloe  may  like  to 
be  free ;  and  Neb  will  always  have  it  in  his  power  to  make 
his  wife  free,  as  well  as  himself." 

"  Sah,  I  t'ink  as  you  say,  Masser  Miles,  sah — when  I  hab 
done  t'inkin',  sah,  hope  young  masser  and  young  missus 
hear  what  ole  cook  got  to  say,  afore  'ey  gives  consent." 

"Certainly;  Chloe  is  your  daughter,  and  she  shall  pay 
you  all  due  respect — for  that,  I  will  answer  for  my  sister  as 
well  as  for  myself.  We  will  never  encourage  disrespect  for 
parents." 

Dido  renewed  and  redoubled  her  thanks,  made  another 
profound  curtsey,  and  withdrew  with  a  dignity  that,  I  dare 
say,  in  Neb's  and  Chloe's  eyes,  boded  little  good.  As  for 
myself,  I  now  mused  on  the  character  of  the  things  of  this 


l6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

world.  Here  were  people  of  the  very  humblest  class  known 
in  a  nation — nay,  of  a  class  sealed  by  nature  itself,  and 
doomed  to  inferiority — just  as  tenacious  of  the  very  distinc- 
tions that  were  making  me  so  miserable,  and  against  which 
certain  persons,  who  are  wiser  than  the  rest  of  the  world, 
declaim  without  understanding  them,  and  even  go  so  far, 
sometimes,  as  to  deny  their  existence.  My  cook  reasoned, 
in  her  sphere,  much  as  I  knew  that  Rupert  reasoned,  as  the 
Drewetts  reasoned,  as  the  world  reasoned,  and,  as  I  feared, 
even  Lucy  reasoned  in  my  own  case !  The  return  of  Mar- 
ble, who  had  left  my  side  as  soon  as  Dido  opened  her  bud- 
get, prevented  my  dwelling  long  on  this  strange — I  had  al- 
most said,  uncouth — coincidence,  and  brought  my  mind 
back  to  present  things. 

"  As  the  old  woman  has  spun  her  yarn.  Miles,"  the  mate 
resumed,  "  we  will  go  on  with  matters  and  things.  I  have 
been  talking  with  the  mother  of  the  youngster  that  fell  over- 
board, and  giving  her  some  advice  for  the  benefit  of  her 
son  in  time  to  come,  and  what  do  you  think  she  gives  as 
the  reason  for  the  silly  thing  he  did? " 

"  It  is  quite  out  of  my  power  to  say — that  he  was  a  silly 
fellow  naturally,  perhaps." 

"  Love.  It  seems  the  poor  boy  is  in  love  with  this  sweet 
friend  of  yours,  Rupert's  sister,  and  it  was  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  love  which  made  him  undertake  to  play  rope- 
dancer  on  our  main-boom !  " 

"  Did  Mrs.  Drewett  tell  you  this  with  her  own  mouth, 
Marble?" 

"That  did  she,  Captain  Wallingford,  for  while  you  were 
discussing  Neb  and  Chloe,  with  old  Dido,  we,  that  is,  the 
doctor,  the  mother,  and  myself,  were  discussing  Andrew 
and  Lucy  between  ourselves.  The  good  old  lady  gave  me 
to  understand  it  was  a  settled  thing,  and  that  she  looked  on 
Miss  Hardinge  already  as  a  third  daughter." 

This  was  a  strange  subject  for  Mrs.  Drewett  to  discuss 
with  a  man  like  Marble,  or  even  with  Post,  but  some  allow- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 7 

ances  were  to  be  made  for  Marble's  manner  of  viewing  his 
own  connection  with  the  dialogue,  and  more  for  the  excited 
condition  of  the  mother's  feelings.  She  was  scarcely  yet  in 
possession  of  all  her  faculties,  and  might  very  well  commit 
an  indiscretion  of  this  nature,  more  especially  in  her  con- 
versation with  a  man  in  Post's  position,  overlooking  or  dis- 
regarding the  presence  of  the  mate.  The  effect  of  all  that 
had  passed  was  to  leave  a  strong  impression  on  my  mind 
that  I  was  too  late.  Lucy  must  be  engaged,  and  waited 
only  to  become  of  age,  in  order  to  make  the  settlements  she 
intended  in  favor  of  her  brother,  ere  she  was  married.  Her 
manner  to  myself  was  merely  the  result  of  habit  and  sincere 
friendship,  a  little  increased  in  interest  and  gentleness, 
perhaps,  on  account  of  the  grievous  wrong  she  felt  we  had 
received  from  Rupert.  What  right  had  I  to  complain,  ad- 
mitting all  this  to  be  true?  I  had  scarcely  been  aware  of 
my  own  passion  for  the  dear  girl,  for  years,  and  had  cer- 
tainly never  attempted  to  make  her  acquainted  with  it.  She 
had  made  me  no  pledges,  plighted  no  faith,  received  no  as- 
surances of  attachment,  was  under  no  obligation  to  wait  my 
pleasure.  So  sincere  was  my  affection  for  Lucy,  that  I  re- 
joiced even  in  my  misery,  when  I  remembered  that  not  the 
slightest  imputation  could  be  laid  on  her  deportment,  truth, 
or  frankness.  On  the  whole,  it  was  perhaps  the  more  natu- 
ral that  she  should  love  Andrew  Drewett,  one  she  met  for 
the  first  time  after  she  became  of  an  age  to  submit  to  such 
impressions,  than  to  love  me,  whom  she  had  been  educated 
to  treat  with  the  familiarity  and  confidence  of  a  brother. 
Yes,  I  was  even  just  enough  to  admit  this. 

The  scene  of  the  morning,  and  the  presence  of  Mrs. 
Drewett  and  her  daughters,  produced  an  entire  change  in 
the  spirits  and  intercourse  of  our  party.  The  ladies  re- 
mained below  most  of  the  time,  and  as  for  Drewett  himself, 
he  was  advised  by  Post  not  to  quit  his  berth  until  he  found 
his  strength  restored.  Mr.  Hardinge  passed  much  time  by 
Andrew  Drewett's  side,  offering  such  attentions  as  might  be 


1 8  MJLES    WALLINGFORD. 

proper  from  a  father  to  a  son.  At  least  it  so  seemed  to  me. 
This  left  Marble  and  myself  in  possession  of  the  quarter- 
deck, though  we  had  occasional  visits  from  all  below — 
Grace,  Lucy,  and  old  Mrs.  Drewett  excepted. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Wallingford  continued  to  ascend 
the  river,  favored  until  evening  by  a  light  southerly  breeze. 
She  outsailed  everything,  and,  just  as  the  sun  was  sinking 
behind  the  fine  termination  of  the  Catskill  range  of  moun- 
tains, we  were  some  miles  above  the  outlet  of  the  stream 
that  has  lent  it  its  name. 

A  lovelier  landscape  can  scarce  be  imagined  than  that 
which  presented  itself  from  the  deck  of  the  sloop.  It  was 
the  first  time  I  had  ascended  the  river,  or,  indeed,  that  any 
of  the  Clawbonny  party  had  been  up  it  so  high,  Mr.  Har- 
dinge  excepted;  and  everybody  was  called  on  deck  to  look 
at  the  beauties  of  the  hour.  The  sloop  was  about  a  mile 
above  Hudson,  and  the  view  was  to  be  gazed  at  towards  the 
south.  This  is,  perhaps,  the  finest  reach  of  this  very  beau- 
tiful stream,  though  it  is  not  the  fashion  to  think  so ;  the 
Highlands  being  the  part  usually  preferred.  It  is  easy 
enough  for  me,  who  have  since  lived  among  the  sublimity 
of  the  Swiss  and  Italian  lakes,  to  understand  that  there  is 
nothing  of  a  very  sublime  character,  relatively  considered, 
in  any  of  the  reaches  of  the  Hudson;  but  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  find  a  river  that  has  so  much  which  is  exquisitely 
beautiful ;  and  this,  too,  of  a  beauty  which  borders  on  the 
grand.  Lucy  was  the  first  person  to  create  any  doubts  in 
my  mind  concerning  the  perfection  of  the  Highlands.  Just 
as  the  cockney  declaims  about  Richmond  Hill — the  inland 
view  from  Mont-Martre,  of  a  clouded  day,  is  worth  twenty 
of  it — but  just  as  the  provincial  London  cockney  declaims 
about  Richmond  Hill,  so  has  the  provincial  American  been 
in  the  habit  of  singing  the  praises  of  the  Highlands  of  the 
Hudson.  The  last  are  sufficiently  striking,  I  will  allow; 
but  they  are  surpassed  in  their  own  kind  by  a  hundred 
known  mountain  landscapes;  while  the  softer  parts  of  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I9 

river  have  scarcely  a  rival.  Lucy,  I  repeat,  was  the  first 
person  to  teach  me  this  distinction— Lucy,  who  then  had 
never  seen  either  Alps  or  Apennines.  But  her  eye  was  as 
true  as  her  principles,  her  tongue,  or  her  character.  AH 
was  truth  about  the  dear  girl — truth  unadulterated  and  un- 
alloyed. 

"  Certainly,  my  dear  Mrs.  Drewett,"  the  dear  girl  said,  as 
she  stood  supporting  the  old  lady,  who  leaned  on  her  arm, 
gazing  at  the  glorious  sunset,  "  the  Highlands  have  nothing 
to  equal  this !  To  me  this  seems  all  that  art  could  achieve ; 
while  I  confess  the  views  in  the  mountains  have  ever  ap- 
peared to  want  something  that  the  mind  can  imagine." 

Mrs.  Drewett,  though  a  respectable,  was  a  commonplace 
woman.  She  belonged  to  the  vast  class  that  do  most  of 
their  thinking  by  proxy;  and  it  was  a  sort  of  heresy  in  her 
eyes  to  fancy  anything  could  surpass  the  Highlands.  Poor 
Mrs.  Drewett!  She  was  exceedingly  cockney,  without  hav- 
ing the  slightest  suspicion  of  it.  Her  best  ought  to  be 
everybody  else's  best.  She  combated  Lucy's  notion  warmly, 
therefore,  protesting  that  the  Highlands  could  not  have  a 
superior.  This  is  a  sort  of  argument  it  is  not  easy  to  over- 
come; and  her  companion  was  content  to  admire  the  scene 
before  her  in  silence,  after  urging  one  or  two  reasons  in 
support  of  her  opinion,  in  her  own  quiet,  unpretending 
manner. 

I  overheard  this  little  argument,  and  was  a  close  observer 
of  the  manner  of  the  parties.  Mrs.  Drewett  was  extremely 
indulgent,  even  while  warmest,  seeming  to  me  to  resist 
Lucy's  opinion  as  an  affectionate  mother  would  contend 
with  the  mistaken  notions  of  a  very  favorite  child.  On  the 
other  hand,  Lucy  appeared  confiding,  and  spoke  as  the 
young  of  her  sex  are  most  apt  to  do,  when  they  utter  their 
thoughts  to  ears  they  feel  must  be  indulgent. 

A  sunset  cannot  last  for  ever;  and  even  this,  sweet  as  it 
had  been,  soon  became^  tame  and  tasteless  to  me.  As  the 
ladies  now  disappeared,  I  determined  to  anchor,  the  wind 


20  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

failing,  and  the  tide  coming  ahead.  Marble  and  myself 
had  a  sort  of  state-room  fitted  up  for  us  in  the  hold ;  and 
thither  I  was  glad  to  retire,  standing  really  in  need  of  rest, 
after  the  terrible  exertions  of  that  day.  What  passed  in  the 
cabins  that  evening,  I  had  no  opportunity  of  knowing, 
though  I  heard  laughing,  and  happy  female  voices,  through 
the  bulkheads,  hours  after  my  own  head  was  on  its  pillow. 
When  Marble  came  down  to  turn  in,  he  told  me  the  cabin 
party  had  revived,  and  that  there  had  been  much  pleasant 
discourse  among  the  young  people;  and  this  in  a  way  to 
cause  even  him  to  derive  great  satisfaction  as  a  listener. 

Neb  gave  us  a  call  at  daylight.  The  wind  was  fresh  at 
west-northwest,  but  the  tide  was  just  beginning  to  run  on 
the  flood.  I  was  so  impatient  to  be  rid  of  my  guests,  that 
all  hands  were  called  immediately,  and  we  got  the  sloop 
under  way.  The  pilot  professed  himself  willing  to  beat  up 
through  the  narrow  passages  above,  and  the  Wallingford's 
greatest  performance  being  on  the  wind,  I  was  determined 
to  achieve  my  deliverance  that  very  tide.  The  sloop  drew 
more  water  than  was  usual  for  the  up-river  craft,  it  is  true; 
but  she  was  light,  and,  just  at  the  moment,  could  go  wher- 
ever the  loaded  Albany  vessels  went.  Those  were  not  the 
days  of  vast  public  works;  and,  as  for  sea-going  craft,  no 
one  had  ever  crossed  the  Overslaugh,  so  far  as  had  come  to 
my  knowledge.  Times  have  changed  greatly  since ;  but  the 
reader  will  remember  I  am  writing  of  that  remote  period  in 
American  history,  the  year  of  our  Lord  1803. 

The  anchor  was  no  sooner  aweigh,  than  the  deck  became 
a  scene  of  activity.  The  breeze  was  stiff,  and  it  enabled 
me  to  show  the  Wallingford  off  to  advantage  among  the 
dull,  flat-bottomed  craft  of  that  day.  There  were  reaches 
in  which  the  wind  favored  us,  too;  and,  by  the  time  the 
ladies  reappeared,  we  were  up  among  the  islands,  worming 
our  way  through  the  narrow  channels  with  rapidity  and 
skill.  To  me,  and  to  Marble  also,  the  scene  was  entirely 
novel;    and   between  the  activity  that  our   evolutions  re- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  2t 

quired,  and  the  constant  change  of  scene,  we  had  little 
leisure  to  attend  to  those  in  the  cabin.  Just  as  breakfast 
was  announced,  indeed,  the  vessel  was  approaching  the 
more  difficult  part  of  the  river;  and  all  we  got  of  that 
meal,  we  took  on  deck,  at  snatches,  between  the  many  tacks 
we  made.  As  good  luck  would  have  it,  however,  the  wind 
backed  more  to  the  westward  about  eight  o'clock;  and  we 
were  enabled  to  stem  the  ebb  that  began  to  make  at  the 
same  time.  This  gave  us  the  hope  of  reaching  the  end  of 
our  passage  without  again  anchoring. 

At  length  we  reached  the  Overslaugh,  which,  as  was  apt 
to  be  the  case,  was  well  sprinkled  with  vessels  aground. 
The  pilot  carried  us  through  them  all,  however;  if  not 
literally  with  flying  colors,  which  would  have  been  re- 
garded as  an  insult  by  the  less  fortunate,  at  least  with  com- 
plete success.  Then  Albany  came  into  view,  leaning 
against  its  sharp  acclivity,  and  spreading  over  its  extensive 
bottom  land.  It  was  not  the  town  it  is  to-day,  by  quite 
three-fourths  less  in  dwellings  and  people;  but  it  was  then, 
as  now,  one  of  the  most  picturesque-looking  places  in 
America.  There  is  no  better  proof,  in  its  way,  how  much 
more  influence  the  talking  and  writing  part  of  mankind 
have  than  the  mere  actors,  than  is  to  be  found  in  the  rela- 
tive consideration  of  Albany,  on  the  scale  of  appearance  and 
position,  as  compared  with  those  enjoyed  by  a  hundred 
other  towns,  more  especially  in  the  Eastern  States.  Almost 
without  a  competitor,  as  to  beauty  of  situation,  or  at  least 
on  a  level  with  Richmond  and  Burlington,  among  the  in- 
land towns  it  was  usually  esteemed  a  Dutch  place  that  every 
pretender  was  at  liberty  to  deride,  in  my  younger  days.  We 
are  a  people  by  no  means  addicted  to  placing  our  candle 
under  the  bushel,  and  yet  I  cannot  recall  a  single  civil  ex- 
pression in  any  native  writer  touching  the  beauties  of  Al- 
bany. It  may  have  been  owing  to  the  circumstance  that  so 
much  of  the  town  was  under  the  hill  at  the  beginning  of  the 
century,  and  that  strangers  had  few  opportunities  of  seeing 


22  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

it  to  advantage;  but  I  rather  think  its  want  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  origin  was  the  principal  reason  it  was  so  little  in 
favor. 

Glad  enough  was  I  to  reach  the  wharves,  with  their  line 
of  storehouses,  that  then  literally  spouted  wheat  into  the 
sloops  that  crowded  the  quays,  on  its  way  to  feed  the  con- 
tending armies  of  Europe.  Late  as  it  was  in  the  season, 
wheat  was  still  pouring  outward  through  all  the  channels  of 
the  country,  enriching  the  farmers  with  prices  that  fre- 
quently rose  as  high  as  two  dollars  and  a  half  the  bushel, 
and  sometimes  as  high  as  three.  Yet  no  one  was  so  poor  in 
America  as  to  want  bread !  The  dearer  the  grain,  the  higher 
the  wages  of  the  laborer,  and  the  better  he  lived. 

It  was  not  at  all  late  when  the  Wallingford  was  slowly 
approaching  the  wharf  where  it  was  intended  to  bring  up. 
There  was  a  sloop  ahead  of  us,  which  we  had  been  gradu- 
ally approaching  for  the  last  two  hours,  but  which  was  en- 
abled to  keep  in  advance  in  consequence  of  the  lightness  of 
the  wind.  This  dying  away  of  the  breeze  rendered  the  ap- 
proaching noontide  calm  and  pleasant;  and  everybody  in- 
board, even  to  Grace,  came  on  deck,  as  we  moved  slowly 
past  the  dwellings  on  the  eastern  bank,  in  order  to  get  a 
view  of  the  town.  I  proposed  that  the  Clawbonny  party 
should  land,  contrary  to  our  original  intention,  and  profit  by 
the  opportunity  to  see  the  political  capital  of  the  state  at 
our  leisure.  Both  Grace  and  Lucy  were  inclined  to  listen 
favorably;  and  the  Drewetts,  Andrew  and  his  sisters,  were 
delighted  at  this  prospect  of  our  remaining  together  a  little 
longer.  Just  at  this  moment,  the  Wallingford,  true  to  her 
character,  was  coming  up  with  the  sloop  ahead,  and  was 
already  doubling  on  her  quarter.  I  was  giving  some  orders, 
when  Lucy  and  Chloe,  supporting  Grace,  passed  me  on  their 
way  to  the  cabin.  My  poor  sister  was  pale  as  death,  and  I 
could  see  that  she  trembled  so  much  she  could  hardly  walk. 
A  significant  glance  from  Lucy  bade  me  not  to  interfere, 
and  I  had  sufficient  self-command  to  obey.    I  turned  to  look 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  23 

at  the  neighboring  sloop,  and  found  at  once  an  explanation 
of  my  sister's  agitation.  The  Mertons  and  Rupert  were  on 
her  quarter-deck,  and  so  near  as  to  render  it  impossible  to 
avoid  speaking,  at  least  to  the  former.  At  this  embarrassing 
instant  Lucy  returned  to  my  side,  with  a  view,  as  I  after- 
ward learned,  to  urge  me  to  carry  the  Wallingford  to  some 
place  so  distant,  as  to  remove  the  danger  of  any  intercourse. 
This  accident  rendered  the  precaution  useless,  the  whole 
party  in  the  other  vessel  catching  sight  of  my  companion  at 
the  same  moment. 

"  This  is  an  agreeable  surprise ! "  called  out  Emily,  in 
whose  eyes  Rupert's  sister  could  not  be  an  object  of  indif- 
ference. "  By  your  brother's  and  Mrs.  Drewett's  account, 
we  had  supposed  you  at  Clawbonny,  by  the  bedside  of  Miss 
Wallingford." 

"  Miss  Wallingford  is  here,  as  are  my  father,  and  Mrs. 
Drewett,  and " 

Lucy  never  let  it  be  known  who  that  other  "  and  "  was  in- 
tended to  include. 

"Well,  this  is  altogether  surprising!"  put  in  Rupert, 
with  a  steadiness  of  voice  that  really  astounded  me.  "  At 
the  very  moment  we  were  giving  you  lots  of  credit  for  your 
constancy  in  friendship,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  here  you 
are.  Mademoiselle  Lucie,  trotting  off  to  the  Springs,  like 
all  the  rest  of  us,  bent  on  pleasure." 

"  No,  Rupert,"  answered  Lucy,  in  a  tone  which  I  thought 
could  not  fail  to  bring  the  heartless  coxcomb  to  some  sense 
of  the  feeling  he  ought  to  manifest;  "I  am  going  to  no 
Springs.  Doctor  Post  has  advised  a  change  of  scene  and  air 
for  Grace;  and  Miles  has  brought  us  all  up  in  his  sloop, 
that  we  may  endeavor  to  contribute  to  the  dear  sufferer's 
comfort,  in  one  united  family.  We  shall  not  land  in 
Albany." 

I  took  my  cue  from  these  last  words,  and  understood  that 
I  was  not  even  to  bring  the  sloop  alongside  the  wharf. 

"Upon  my  word,  it  is  just  as  she  says,  colonel!  "  cried 


24  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Rupert.  "  I  can  see  my  father  on  the  forecastle,  with  Post, 
and  divers  others  of  my  acquaintance.  Ay — and  there's 
Drewett,  as  I  live !  Wallingford,  too !  How  fare  you,  noble 
captain,  up  in  this  fresh-water  stream?  You  must  be 
strangely  out  of  your  latitude." 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Hardinge  ?  "  I  coldly  returned  the 
salutation ;  and  then  I  was  obliged  to  speak  to  the  major 
and  his  daughter.  But  Neb  was  at  the  helm,  and  I  had 
given  him  a  sign  to  sheer  further  from  our  companion.  This 
soon  reduced  the  intercourse  to  a  few  wavings  of  handker- 
chiefs, and  kissings  of  the  hand,  in  which  all  the  Drewetts 
came  in  for  a  share.  As  for  Lucy,  she  walked  aside,  and  I 
seized  the  occasion  to  get  a  word  in  private. 

"What  am  I  to  do  with  the  sloop?  "  I  asked.  "It  will 
soon  be  necessary  to  come  to  some  decision." 

"By  no  means  go  to  the  wharf.  Oh!  this  has  been  most 
cruel.  The  cabin  windows  are  open,  and  Grace  must  have 
heard  every  syllable.  Not  even  a  question  as  to  her  health ! 
I  dread  to  go  below  and  witness  the  effect." 

I  wished  not  to  speak  of  Rupert  to  his  sister,  and  avoided 
the  subject.  The  question,  therefore,  was  simply  repeated. 
Lucy  inquired  if  it  were  not  possible  to  land  our  passengers 
without  bringing-up,  and,  hearing  the  truth  on  the  subject, 
she  renewed  her  entreaties  not  to  land.  Room  was  taken 
accordingly,  and  the  sloop,  as  soon  as  high  enough,  was 
rounded-to,  and  the  boat  lowered.  The  portmanteau  of  Post 
was  placed  in  it,  and  the  Drewetts  were  told  that  everything 
was  ready  to  put  them  ashore. 

"  Surely  we  are  not  to  part  thus ! "  exclaimed  the  old 
lady.  "  You  intend  to  land,  Lucy,  if  not  to  accompany  us 
to  Ballston?  The  waters  might  prove  of  service  to  Miss 
Wallingford." 

"  Doctor  Post  thinks  not,  but  advises  us  to  return  tran- 
quilly down  the  river.  We  may  yet  go  as  far  as  Sandy 
Hook,  or  even  into  the  Sound.  It  all  depends  on  dear  Grace's 
strength  and  inclinations." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  2$ 

Protestations  of  regret  and  disappointment  followed,  for 
everybody  appeared  to  think  much  of  Lucy,  and  very  little 
of  my  poor  sister.  Some  attempts  were  even  made  at  per- 
suasion; but  the  quiet  firmness  of  Lucy  soon  convinced  her 
friends  that  she  was  not  to  be  diverted  from  her  purpose. 
Mr.  Hardinge,  too,  had  a  word  to  say  in  confirmation  of  his 
daughter's  decision ;  and  the  travellers  reluctantly  prepared 
to  enter  the  boat.  After  he  had  assisted  his  mother  over  the 
sloop's  side,  Andrew  Drewett  turned  to  me,  and  in  fair, 
gentleman-like,  manly  language,  expressed  his  sense  of  the 
service  I  had  rendered  him.  After  this  acknowledgment,  the 
first  he  had  made,  I  could  do  no  less  than  shake  his  hand; 
and  we  parted  in  the  manner  of  those  who  have  conferred 
and  received  a  favor. 

I  could  perceive  that  Lucy's  color  heightened,  and  that 
she  looked  exceedingly  gratified,  while  this  little  scene  was 
in  the  course  of  being" acted,  though  I  was  unable  to  com- 
prehend the  precise  feeling  that  was  predominant  in  her 
honest  and  truthful  heart.  Did  that  increased  color  proceed 
from  pleasure  at  the  handsome  manner  in  which  Drewett 
acquitted  himself  of  one  of  the  most  embarrassing  of  all  our 
duties — the  admission  of  a  deep  obligation?  or  was  it  in 
any  manner  connected  with  her  interest  in  me?  I  could  not 
ask,  and  of  course  did  not  learn.  This  scene,  however,  ter- 
minated our  intercourse  with  the  Drewetts,  for  the  moment, 
the  boat  pulling  away  immediately  after. 


CHAPTER   II. 


Misplaced  in  life, 
I  know  not  what  I  could  have  been,  but  feel 
I  am  not  what  I  should  be — let  it  end. 

Sardana^a^us. 

Glad  enough  was  I  to  find  the  quiet  and  domestic  char- 
acter of  my  vessel  resto^^ed.  Lucy  had  vanished  as  soon  as 
it  was  proper,  but,  agreeably  to  her  request,  I  got  the  sloop's 


26  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

head  down-stream,  and  began  our  return  passage,  without 
even  thinking  of  putting  a  foot  on  the  then  unknown  land 
of  Albany.  Marble  was  too  much  accustomed  to  submit 
without  inquiry  to  the  movements  of  the  vessel  he  was  in  to 
raise  any  objections,  and  the  Wallingford,  her  boat  in  tow, 
was  soon  turning  down  with  the  tide,  aided  by  a  light  wes- 
terly wind,  on  her  homeward  course.  This  change  kept  all 
on  deck  so  busy,  that  it  was  some  little  time  ere  I  saw 
Lucy  again.  When  we  did  meet,  however,  I  found  her  sad, 
and  full  of  apprehension.  Grace  had  evidently  been  deeply 
hurt  by  Rupert's  deportment.  The  effect  on  her  frame  was 
such,  that  it  was  desirable  to  let  her  be  as  little  disturbed 
as  possible.  Lucy  hoped  she  might  fall  asleep,  for,  like  an 
infant,  her  exhausted  physical  powers  sought  relief  in  this 
resource,  almost  as  often  as  the  state  of  her  mind  would 
permit.  Her  existence,  although  I  did  not  then  know  it, 
was  like  that  of  the  flame  which  flickers  in  the  air,  and 
which  is  endangered  by  the  slightest  increase  of  the  current 
to  which  the  lamp  may  be  exposed. 

We  succeeded  in  getting  across  the  Overslaugh  without 
touching,  and  had  got  down  among  the  islands  below 
Coejiman's,*  when  we  were  met  by  the  new  flood.  The 
wind  dying  away  to  a  calm,  we  were  compelled  to  select  a 
berth,  and  anchor.  As  soon  as  we  were  snug,  I  sought  an 
interview  with  Lucy,  but  the  dear  girl  sent  word  by  Chloe 
that  Grace  was  dozing,  and  that  she  could  not  see  me  just 
at  that  moment,  as  her  presence  in  the  cabin  was  necessary 
in  order  to  maintain  silence.  On  receiving  this  message, 
I  ordered  the  boat  hauled  up  alongside;  Marble,  myself, 
and  Neb  got  in ;  when  the  black  sculled  us  ashore — Chloe 
grinning  at  the  latter's  dexterity,  as  with  one  hand  and  a 
mere  play  of  the  wrist  he  caused  the  water  to  foam  under 
the  bows  of  our  little  bark. 

The  spot  where  we  landed  was  a  small  but  lovely  gravelly 

*  Queeman''s,  as  pronounced.     This  is  a  Dutch,  not  an  Indian  name,  and  belongs 
to  a  respectable  New  York  family. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  2/ 

cove,  that  was  shaded  by  three  or  four  enormous  weeping- 
willows,  and  presented  the  very  picture  of  peace  and  repose. 
It  was  altogether  a  retired  and  rural  bit,  there  being  near  it 
no  regular  landing,  no  reels  for  seines,  nor  any  of  those 
signs  that  denote  a  place  of  resort.  A  single  cottage  stood 
on  a  small  natural  terrace,  elevated  some  ten  or  twelve  feet 
above  the  rich  bottom  that  sustained  the  willows.  This  cot- 
tage was  the  very  beau  ideal  of  rustic  neatness  and  home 
comfort.  It  was  of  stone,  one  story  in  height,  with  a  high- 
pointed  roof,  and  had  a  Dutch-looking  gable  that  faced  the 
river  and  which  contained  the  porch  and  outer  door.  The 
stones  were  white  as  the  driven  snow,  having  been  washed 
a  few  weeks  before.  The  windows  had  the  charm  of  ir- 
regularity, and  everything  about  the  dwelling  proclaimed  a 
former  century,  and  a  rkgime  different  from  that  under  which 
we  were  then  living.  In  fact,  the  figures  1698,  let  in  as 
iron  braces  to  the  wall  of  the  gable,  announced  that  the 
house  was  quite  as  old  as  the  second  structure  at  Clawbonny. 

The  garden  of  this  cottage  was  not  large,  but  it  was  in 
admirable  order.  It  lay  entirely  in  the  rear  of  the  dwelling; 
and  behind  it,  again,  a  small  orchard,  containing  about  a 
hundred  trees,  on  which  the  fruit  began  to  show  itself  in 
abundance,  lay  against  the  sort  of  amphitheatre  that  almost 
enclosed  this  little  nook  against  the  intrusion  and  sight  of 
the  rest  of  the  world.  There  were  also  half  a  dozen  huge 
cherry  trees,  from  which  the  fruit  had  not  yet  altogether  dis- 
appeared, near  the  house,  to  which  they  served  the  double 
purpose  of  ornament  and  shade.  The  outhouses  seemed  to 
be  as  old  as  the  dwellng,  and  were  in  quite  as  good  order. 

As  we  drew  near  the  shore,  I  directed  Neb  to  cease  scull- 
ing, and  sat  gazing  at  this  picture  of  retirement,  and,  ap- 
parently, of  content,  while  the  boat  drew  towards  the  gravelly 
beach,  under  the  impetus  already  received. 

"This  is  a  hermitage  I  think  I  could  stand,  Miles,"  said 
Marble,  whose  look  hac^  not  been  off  the  spot  since  the  mo- 
ment we  left  the  sloop's  side.     "  This  is  what  I  should  caU 


28  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

a  human  hermitage,  and  none  of  your  out  and  out  solitudes. 
Room  for  pigs  and  poultry;  a  nice  gravelly  beach  for  your 
boat;  good  fishing  in  the  offing,  I'll  answer  for  it;  a  snug 
shoulder-of-mutton  sort  of  a  house ;  trees  as  big  as  a  two- 
decker's  lower  masts;  and  company  within  hail,  should  a 
fellow  happen  to  take  it  into  his  head  that  he  was  getting 
melancholy.  This  is  just  the  spot  I  would  like  to  fetch-up 
in,  when  it  became  time  to  go  into  dock.  What  a  place  to 
smoke  a  cigar  in  is  that  bench  up  yonder,  under  the  cherry 
tree ;  and  grog  must  have  a  double  flavor  alongside  of  that 
spring  of  fresh  water !  " 

"  You  could  become  the  owner  of  this  very  place,  Moses, 
and  then  we  should  be  neighbors,  and  might  visit  each  other 
by  water.  It  cannot  be  much  more  than  fifty  miles  from  this 
spot  to  Clawbonny." 

"  I  dare  say,  now,  that  they  would  think  of  asking,  for  a 
place  like  this,  as  much  money  as  would  buy  a  good  whole- 
some ship — a  regular  A  No.  i." 

"No  such  thing;  a  thousand  or  twelve  hundred  dollars 
would  purchase  the  house,  and  all  the  land  we  can  see — 
some  twelve  or  fifteen  acres,  at  the  most.  You  have  more 
than  two  thousand  salted  away,  I  know,  Moses,  between 
prize  money,  wages,  adventures,  and  other  matters." 

"  I  could  hold  my  head  up  under  two  thousand,  of  a  sar- 
tainty.  I  wish  the  place  was  a  little  nearer  Clawbonny,  say, 
eight  or  ten  miles  off;  and  then  I  do  think  I  should  talk  to 
the  people  about  a  trade." 

"  It's  quite  unnecessary,  after  all.  I  have  quite  as  snug  a 
cove,  near  the  creek  bluff  at  Clawbonny,  and  will  build  a 
house  for  you  there,  you  shall  not  tell  from  a  ship's  cabin; 
that  would  be  more  to  your  fancy." 

"  I've  thought  of  that,  too.  Miles,  and  at  one  time  fancied 
it  would  be  a  prettyish  sort  of  an  idee;  but  it  won't  stand 
logarithms,  at  all.  You  may  build  a  room  that  shall  have 
its  cabin  look^  but  you  can't  build  one  that'll  have  a  cabin 
natur'.  You  may  get  carl  ins,  and  transoms,  and  lockers,  and 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  2g 

bulkheads  all  right;  but  where  are  you  to  get  your  motion? 
What's  a  cabin  without  motion?  It  would  soon  be  like  the 
sea  in  the  calm  latitudes,  offensive  to  the  senses.  No!  none 
of  your  bloody  motionless  cabins  for  me.  If  I'm  afloat,  let 
me  be  afloat;  if  I'm  ashore,  let  me  be  ashore." 

Ashore  we  were  by  this  time,  the  boat's  keel  grinding 
gently  on  the  pebbles  of  the  beach.  We  landed  and  walked 
towards  the  cottage,  there  being  nothing  about  the  place  to 
forbid  our  taking  this  liberty.  I  told  Marble  we  would  ask 
for  a  drink  of  milk,  two  cows  being  in  sight,  cropping  the 
rich  herbage  of  a  beautiful  little  pasture.  This  expedient  at 
first  seemed  unnecessary,  no  one  appearing  about  the  place 
to  question  our  motives,  or  to  oppose  our  progress.  When 
we  had  reached  the  door  of  the  cottage,  we  found  it  open, 
and  could  look  within  without  violating  any  of  the  laws  of 
civilization.  There  was  no  vestibule, or  entry;  but  the  door 
communicated  directly  with  a  room  of  some  size,  and  which 
occupied  the  whole  front  of  the  building.  I  dare  say  this 
single  room  was  twenty  feet  square,  besides  being  of  a  height 
a  little  greater  than  was  then  customary  in  buildings  of  that 
class.  This  apartment  was  neatness  itself.  It  had  a  home- 
made, but  really  pretty  carpet  on  the  floor;  contained  a 
dozen  old-fashioned,  high-back  chairs,  in  some  dark  wood; 
two  or  three  tables,  in  which  one  might  see  his  face;  a 
couple  of  mirrors  of  no  great  size,  but  of  quaint  gilded  or- 
naments; a  buffet  with  some  real  china  in  it;  and  the 
other  usual  articles  of  a  country  residence  that  was  some- 
what above  the  ordinary  farm-houses  of  the  region,  and  yet 
as  much  below  the  more  modest  of  the  abodes  of  the  higher 
class.  I  supposed  the  cottage  to  be  the  residence  of  some 
small  family  that  had  seen  more  of  life  than  was  customary 
with  the  mere  husbandman,  and  yet  not  enough  to  raise  it 
much  above  the  level  of  the  husbandman's  homely  habits. 

We  were  looking  in  from  the  porch  on  this  scene  of  rural 
peace  and  faultless  neatness,  when  an  inner  door  opened  in 
the  deliberate  manner  tnat  betokens  age,  and  the  mistress  of 


30  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

the  cottage  appeared.  She  was  a  woman  approaching 
seventy,  of  middle  size,  a  quiet,  but  firm  step,  and  an  air  of 
health.  Her  dress  was  of  the  fashion  of  the  previous  cen- 
tury, plain,  but  as  neat  as  everything  around  her — a  spot- 
less white  apron  seeming  to  bid  defiance  to  the  approach  of 
anything  that  could  soil  its  purity.  The  countenance  of  this 
old  woman  certainly  did  not  betoken  any  of  the  refinement 
which  is  the  result  of  education  and  good  company ;  but  it 
denoted  benevolence,  a  kind  nature,  and  feeling.  We  were 
saluted  without  surprise,  and  invited  in,  to  be  seated. 

"It  isn't  often  that  sloops  anchor  here,"  said  the  old 
woman — lady  it  would  be  a  stretch  of  politeness  to  call  her 
— "  their  i^voryfe  places  being  higher  up,  and  lower  down, 
the  river." 

"  And  how  do  you  account  for  that,  mother  ? "  asked 
Marble,  who  seated  himself  and  addressed  the  mistress  of 
the  cottage  with  a  seaman's  frankness.  "  To  my  fancy,  this 
is  the  best  anchorage  IVe  seen  in  many  a  day — one  alto- 
gether to  be  coveted.  One  might  be  as  much  alone  as  he 
liked  in  a  spot  like  this,  without  absolutely  turning  your 
bloody  hermit." 

The  old  woman  gazed  at  Marble  like  one  who  scarce 
knew  what  to  make  of  such  an  animal ;  and  yet  her  look 
was  mild  and  indulgent. 

"  I  account  for  the  boatmen's  preferring  other  places  to 
this,"  she  said,  "by  the  circumstance  that  there  is  no 
tavern  here ;  while  there  is  one  two  miles  above,  and  an- 
other two  miles  below  us." 

"  Your  remark  that  there  is  no  tavern  here,  reminds  me  of 
the  necessity  of  apologizing  for  coming  so  boldly  to  your 
door,"  I  answered ;  "  but  we  sailors  mean  no  impertinence, 
though  we  are  so  often  guilty  of  it  in  landing." 

"  You  are  heartily  welcome.  I  am  glad  to  see  them  that 
understand  how  to  treat  an  old  woman  kindly,  and  know 
how  to  pity  and  pardon  them  that  do  not.  At  my  time  of 
life  we  get  to  learn  the  value  of  fair  words  and  good  treat- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  3  I 

ment,  for  it's  only  a  short  time  it  will  be  in  our  power  to 
show  either  to  our  fellow  creatures." 

"  Your  favorable  disposition  to  your  fellows  comes  from 
living  all  your  days  in  a  spot  as  sweet  as  this.'' 

"  I  would  much  rather  think  that  it  comes  from  God.  He 
alone  is  the  source  of  all  that  is  good  within  us." 

"Yet  a  spot  like  this  must  have  its  influence  on  a  char- 
acter. I  dare  say  you  have  lived  long  in  this  very  house, 
which,  old  as  you  profess  to  be,  seems  to  be  much  older 
than  yourself.  It  has  probably  been  your  abode  ever  since 
your  marriage?" 

"  And  long  before,  sir.  I  was  born  in  this  house,  as  was 
my  father  before  me.  You  are  right  in  saying  that  I  have 
dwelt  in  it  ever  since  my  marriage,  for  I  dwelt  in  it  long 
before." 

"  This  is  not  very  encouraging  for  my  friend  here,  who 
took  such  a  fancy  to  your  cottage,  as  we  came  ashore,  as  to 
wish  to  own  it;  but  I  scarce  think  he  will  venture  to  pur- 
chase, now  he  knows  how  dear  it  must  be  to  you." 

"  And  has  your  friend  no  home — no  place  in  which  to  put 
his  family?" 

"  Neither  home  nor  family,  my  good  mother,"  answered 
Marble  for  himself;  "and  so  much  the  greater  reason,  you 
will  think,  why  I  ought  to  begin  to  think  of  getting  both  as 
soon  as  possible.  I  never  had  father  or  mother,  to  my  knowl- 
edge; nor  house,  nor  home  of  any  sort,  but  a  ship.  I  forgot; 
I  was  a  hermit  once,  and  set  myself  up  in  that  trade,  with  a 
whole  island  to  myself;  but  I  soon  gave  up  all  to  natur', 
and  got  out  of  that  scrape  as  fast  as  I  could.  The  business 
didn't  suit  me." 

The  old  woman  looked  at  Marble  intently.  I  could  see 
by  her  countenance  that  the  off-hand,  sincere,  earnest  man- 
ner of  the  mate  had  taken  some  unusual  hold  of  her  feelings. 

"Hermit!  "  the  good  woman  repeated  with  curiosity;  "I 
have  often  heard  and  read  of  such  people ;  but  you  are  not 
at  all  like  them  I  have  fancied  to  be  hermits," 


32  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  Another  proof  I  undertook  a  business  for  which  I  was 
not  fit.  I  suppose  a  man  before  he  sets  up  for  a  hermit 
ought  to  know  something  of  his  ancestors,  as  one  looks  to 
the  pedigree  of  a  horse  in  order  to  find  out  whether  he  is 
fit  for  a  racer.  No  a^,  as  I  happen  to  know  nothing  of  mine, 
it  is  no  wonder  I  fell  into  a  mistake.  It's  an  awkward 
thing,  old  lady,  for  a  man  to  be  born  without  a  name." 

The  eye  of  our  hostess  was  still  bright  and  full  of  ani- 
mation, and  I  never  saw  a  keener  look  than  she  fastened  on 
the  mate,  as  he  delivered  himself  in  this,  one  of  his  usual 
fits  of  misanthropical  feeling. 

"And  -were yoti  born  without  a  name?"  she  asked,  after 
gazing  intently  at  the  other. 

"  Sartin.  Everybody  is  born  with  only  one  name;  but  I 
happened  to  be  born  without  any  name  at  all." 

"This  is  so  extr'or'nary,  sir,"  added  our  old  hostess,  more 
interested  than  I  could  have  supposed  for  a  stranger  to  be- 
come in  Marble's  rough  bitterness,  "  that  I  should  like  to 
hear  how  such  a  thing  could  be." 

"I  am  quite  ready  to  tell  you  all  about  it,  mother;  but 
as  one  good  turn  deserves  another,  I  shall  ask  you  first  to 
answer  me  a  few  questions  about  the  ownership  of  this 
house,  and  cove,  and  orchard.  When  you  have  told  your 
story,  I  am  ready  to  tell  mine." 

"  I  see  how  it  is,"  said  the  old  woman,  in  alarm.  "  You 
are  sent  here  by  Mr.  Van  Tassel,  to  inquire  about  the  money 
due  on  the  mortgage,  and  to  learn  whether  it  is  likely  to  be 
paid  or  not." 

"We  are  not  sent  here  at  all,  my  good  old  lady,"  I  now 
thought  it  time  to  interpose,  for  the  poor  woman  was  very 
obviously  much  alarmed,  and  in  a  distress  that  even  her 
aged  and  wrinkled  countenance  could  not  entirely  conceal. 
"We  are  just  what  you  see — people  belonging  to  that  sloop, 
who  have  come  ashore  to  stretch  their  legs,  and  have  never 
heard  of  any  Mr.  Van  Tassel,  or  any  money,  or  any  mort- 
gage." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  3J 

"Thank  Heaven  for  that!"  exclaimed  the  old  woman, 
seeming  to  relieve  her  mind,  as  well  as  body,  by  a  heavy 
sigh.  "  'Squire  Van  Tassel  is  a  hard  man ;  and  a  widow 
woman,  with  no  relative  at  hand  but  a  grand-darter  that  is 
just  sixteen,  is  scarce  able  to  meet  him.  My  poor  old  hus- 
band always  maintained  that  the  money  had  been  paid ;  but, 
now  he  is  dead  and  gone,  'Squire  Van  Tassel  brings  forth 
the  bond  and  mortgage,  and  says,  *If  you  can  prove  that 
these  are  paid,  I'm  willing  to  give  them  up.' " 

"  This  is  so  strange  an  occurrence,  my  dear  old  lady,"  I 
observed,  "  that  you  have  only  to  make  us  acquainted  with 
the  facts,  to  get  another  supporter  in  addition  to  your 
grand-daughter.  It  is  true,  I  am  a  stranger,  and  have  come 
here  purely  by  accident ;  but  Providence  sometimes  appears 
to  work  in  this  mysterious  manner,  and  I  have  a  strong 
presentiment  we  may  be  of  use  to  you.  Relate  your  diffi- 
culties, then ;  and  you  shall  have  the  best  legal  advice  in 
the  state,  should  your  case  require  it." 

The  old  woman  seemed  embarrassed;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  she  seemed  touched.  We  were  utter  strangers  to  her, 
it  is  true ;  yet  there  is  a  language  in  sympathy  which  goes 
beyond  that  of  the  tongue,  and  which,  coming  Jrom  the 
heart,  goes  to  the  heart.  I  was  quite  sincere  in  my  offers, 
and  this  sincerity  appears  to  have  produced  its  customary 
fruits.  I  was  believed;  and,  after  wiping  away  a  tear  or 
two  that  forced  themselves  into  her  eyes,  our  hostess  an- 
swered me  as  frankly  as  I  had  offered  my  aid. 

"You  do  not  look  like  'Squire  Van  Tassel's  men,  for 
they  seem  to  me  to  think  the  place  is  theirs  already.  Such 
craving,  covetous  creatur's  I  never  before  laid  eyes  on !  I 
hope  I  may  trust  you  ?  " 

"  Depend  on  us,  mother,"  cried  Marble,  giving  the  old 
woman  a  cordial  squeeze  of  the  hand.  "  My  heart  is  in  this 
business,  for  my  mind  was  half  made  up,  at  first  sight,  to 
own  this  spot  myself — by  honest  purchase,  you'll  under- 
stand me,  and  not  by  any  <5!f  your  land-shark  tricks — and, 
3 


34  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

such  being  the  case,  you  can  easily  think  I'm  not  inclined 
to  let  this  Mr.  Tassel  have  it." 

"It  would  be  almost  as  sorrowful  a  thing  to  sell  this 
place,"  the  good  woman  answered,  her  countenance  con- 
firming all  she  said  in  words,  "  as  to  have  it  torn  from  me 
by  knaves.  I  have  told  you  that  even  my  father  was  born 
in  this  very  house.  I  was  his  only  child;  and  when  God 
called  him  away,  which  he  did  about  twelve  years  after  my 
marriage,  the  little  farm  came  to  me,  of  course.  Mine  it 
would  have  been  at  this  moment,  without  let  or  hindrance 
of  any  sort,  but  for  a  fault  committed  in  early  youth.  Ah ! 
my  friends,  it  is  hopeless  to  do  evil,  and  expect  to  escape 
the  consequences." 

"The  evil  you  have  done,  my  good  mother,"  returned 
Marble,  endeavoring  to  console  the  poor  creature,  down 
whose  cheeks  the  tears  now  fairly  began  to  run ;  "  the  evil 
you  have  done,  my  good  mother,  can  be  no  great  matter.  If 
it  was  a  question  about  a  rough  tar  like  myself,  or  even  of 
Miles  there,  who's  a  sort  of  sea-saint,  something  might  be 
made  of  it,  I  make  no  doubt;  but  your  account  must  be 
pretty  much  all  credit,  and  no  debtor." 

"That  is  a  state  that  befalls  none  of  earth,  my  young 
friend  " — Marble  was  young,  compared  to  his  companion, 
though  a  lump  fifty.  "  My  sin  was  no  less  than  to  break 
one  of  God's  commandments." 

I  could  see  that  my  mate  was  a  good  deal  confounded  at 
this  ingenuous  admission;  for,  in  his  eyes,  breaking  the 
commandments  was  either  killing,  stealing,  or  blaspheming. 
The  other  sins  of  the  decalogue  he  had  come  by  habit  to 
regard  as  peccadilloes. 

"I  think  this  must  be  a  mistake,  mother,"  he  said,  in  a 
sort  of  consoling  tone.  "  You  may  have  fallen  into  some 
oversights,  or  mistakes;  but  this  breaking  of  the  command- 
ments is  rather  serious  sort  of  work." 

"  Yet  I  broke  the  fifth ;  I  forgot  to  honor  my  father  and 
mother.    Nevertheless,  the  Lord  has  been  gracious;  for  my 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  35 

days  have  already  reached  three-score-and-ten.  But  this  is 
his  goodness — not  any  merit  of  my  own!  " 

"  Is  it  not  a  proof  that  the  error  has  been  forgiven  ? ''  I 
ventured  to  remark.  "  If  penitence  can  purchase  peace,  I 
feel  certain  you  have  earned  that  relief." 

"One  never  knows!  I  think  this  calamity  of  the  mort- 
gage, and  the  danger  I  run  of  dying  without  a  roof  to  cover 
my  head,  may  be  all  traced  up  to  that  one  act  of  disobedi- 
ence. I  have  been  a  mother  myself — may  say  I  am  a  mother 
now,  for  my  grand-daughter  is  as  dear  to  me  as  was  her 
blessed  mother — and  it  is  when  we  look  down^  rather  than 
when  we  look  up^  as  it  might  be,  that  we  get  to  understand 
the  true  virtue  of  this  commandment." 

"  If  it  were  impertinent  curiosity  that  instigates  the  ques- 
tion, my  old  friend,"  I  added,  "it  would  not  be  in  my 
power  to  look  you  in  the  face,  as  I  do  now,  while  begging 
you  to  let  me  know  your  difficulties.  Tell  them  in  your 
own  manner,  but  tell  them  with  confidence;  for,  I  repeat,  we 
have  the  power  to  assist  you,  and  can  command  the  best 
legal  advice  of  the  country." 

Again  the  old  woman  looked  at  me  intently  through  her 
spectacles ;  then,  as  if  her  mind  was  made  up  to  confide  in 
our  honesty,  she  disburdened  it  of  its  secrets. 

"  It  would  be  wrong  to  tell  you  a  part  of  my  story,  with- 
out telling  you  all,"  she  began,  "for  you  might  think  Van 
Tassel  and  his  set  are  alone  to  blame,  while  my  conscience 
tells  me  that  little  has  happened  that  is  not  a  just  punish- 
ment for  my  great  sin.  You'll  have  patience,  therefore,  with 
an  old  woman,  and  hear  her  whole  tale;  for  mine  is  not  a 
time  of  life  to  mislead  any.  The  days  of  white-heads  are 
numbered;  and,  was  it  not  for  Kitty,  the  blow  would  not  be 
quite  so  hard  on  me.  You  must  know,  we  are  Dutch  by 
origin — come  of  the  ancient  Hollanders  of  the  colony— and 
were  Van  Duzers  by  name.  It's  like,  friends,"  added  the 
good  woman,  hesitating,  "  that  ^ou  are  Yankees  by  birth  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  say  I  am,"  I  answered,  "  though  of  English 


/ 

36  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

extraction.  My  family  is  long  of  New  York,  but  it  does  not] 
mount  back  quite  as  far  as  the  time  of  the  Hollanders."        i 

"And  your  friend?  He  is  silent;  perhaps  he  is  of  Newj 
England.?  I  would  not  wish  to  hurt  his  feelings,  for  myi 
story  will  bear  a  little  hard,  perhaps,  on  his  love  of  home.'*] 

"  Never  mind  me,  mother,  but  rowse  it  all  up  like  entered^ 
cargo,"  said  Marble,  in  his  usual  bitter  way  when  alludingt] 
to  his  own  birth.  "  There's  not  the  man  breathing  that  one^ 
can  speak  more  freely  before  on  such  matters,  than  Mosea^ 
Marble."  i 

"Marble! — that's  a  kar^  name,"  returned  the  woman^j 
slightly  smiling ;  "  but  a  name  is  not  a  Aearf.  My  parent* 
were  Dutch ;  and  you  may  have  heard  how  it  was  before  thOj 
Revolution,  between  the  Dutch  and  the  Yankees.  Near^ 
neighbors,  they  did  not  love  each  other.  The  Yankees  said^ 
the  Dutch  were  fools,  and  the  Dutch  said  the  Yankees  werd 
knaves.  Now,  as  you  may  easily  suppose,  I  was  born  before^ 
the  Revolution,  when  King  George  II.  was  on  the  throne^ 
and  ruled  the  country;  and  though  it  was  long  after  thei 
English  got  to  be  our  masters,  it  was  before  our  people  hadi 
forgotten  their  language  and  their  traditions.  My  fatheri 
himself  was  born  after  the  English  governors  came  among^ 
us,  as  I've  heard  him  say;  but  it  mattered  not — he  loved^ 
Holland  to  the  last,  and  the  customs  of  his  fathers."  ' 

"All  quite  right,  mother,"  said  Marble,  a  little  impa-^ 
tiently ;  "  but  what  of  all  that  ?  It's  as  nat'ral  for  a  Dutchman^ 
to  love  Holland,  as  it  is  for  an  Englishman  to  love  Hollands.^ 
I've  been  in  the  Low  Countries,  and  must  say  it's  a  muskrat^ 
sort  of  a  life  the  people  lead ;  neither  afloat  nor  ashore."      ^ 

The  old  woman  regarded  Marble  with  more  respect  afterij 
this  declaration ;  for,  in  that  day,  a  travelled  man  was  highly^ 
esteemed  among  us.  In  her  eyes,  it  was  a  greater  exploit  to^ 
have  seen  Amsterdam,  than  it  would  now  be  to  visit  Jerusa-^ 
lem.  Indeed,  it  is  getting  rather  discreditable  to  a  man  ofii 
the  world  not  to  have  seen  the  Pyramids,  the  Red  Sea,  andj 
the  Jordan. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  3/ 

"My  father  loved  it  not  the  less,  though  he  never  saw  the 
land  of  his  ancestors,"  resumed  the  old  woman.  "  Notwith- 
standing the  jealousy  of  the  Yankees,  among  us  Dutch,  and 
the  mutual  dislike,  many  of  the  former  came  among  us  to 
seek  their  fortunes.  They  are  not  a  home-staying  people,  it 
would  seem ;  and  I  cannot  deny  that  cases  have  happened 
in  which  they  have  been  known  to  get  away  the  farms  of 
some  of  the  Netherlands  stock,  in  a  way  that  it  would  have 
been  better  not  to  have  happened." 

"  You  speak  considerately,  my  dear  woman,"  I  remarked, 
"  and  like  one  that  has  charity  for  all  human  failing." 

"  I  ought  to  do  so  for  my  own  sins,  and  I  ought  to  do  so 
to  them  of  New  England ;  for  my  own  husband  was  of  that 
race." 

"  Ay,  now  the  story  is  coming  round  regularly,  Miles," 
said  Marble,  nodding  his  head  in  approbation.  "  It  will 
touch  on  love  next,  and,  if  trouble  do  not  follow,  set  me 
down  as  an  ill-nat'red  old  bachelor.  Love  in  a  man's  heart 
is  like  getting  heated  cotton,  or  shifting  ballast,  into  a 
ship's  hold." 

"  I  must  confess  to  it,"  continued  our  hostess,  smiling  in 
spite  of  her  real  sorrows — sorrows  that  were  revived  by 
thus  recalling  the  events  of  her  early  life.  "A  young  man 
of  Yankee  birth  came  among  us  as  a  schoolmaster,  when  I 
was  only  fifteen.  Our  people  were  anxious  enough  to  have 
us  all  taught  to  read  English,  for  many  had  found  the  dis- 
advantage of  being  ignorant  of  the  language  of  their  rulers, 
and  of  the  laws.  I  was  sent  to  George  Wetmore's  school, 
like  most  of  the  other  young  people  of  the  neighborhood, 
and  remained  his  scholar  for  three  years.  If  you  were  on 
the  hill  above  the  orchard  yonder,  you  might  see  the  school- 
house  at  this  moment;  for  it  is  only  a  short  walk  from  our 
place,  and  a  walk  that  I  made  four  times  a  day  for  just 
three  years." 

"One  can  see  how  the  fend  lies  now,"  cried  Marble, 
lighting  a  cigar,  for  he  thought  no  apology  necessary  for 


38  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

smoking  under  a  Dutch  roof.  "  The  master  taught  his 
scholar  something  more  than  he  found  in  his  spelling-book, 
or  the  catechism.  We'll  take  your  word  about  the  school- 
house,  seeing  it  is  out  of  view." 

"  It  was  out  of  sight,  truly,  and  that  may  have  been  the 
reason  my  parents  took  it  so  hard  when  George  Wetmore 
asked  their  leave  to  marry  me.  This  was  not  done  until  he 
had  walked  home  with  me,  or  as  near  home  as  the  brow  of 
yon  hill,  for  a  whole  twelvemonth,  and  had  served  a  servi- 
tude almost  as  long  and  as  patient  as  that  of  Jacob  for 
Rachel." 

"  Well,  mother,  how  did  the  old  people  receive  the  ques- 
tion ^  like  good-natured  parents,  I  hope,  for  George's  sake." 

"Rather  say  like  the  children  of  Holland,  judging  of  the 
children  of  New  England.  They  would  not  hear  of  it,  but 
wished  me  to  marry  my  own  cousin,  Petrus  Storm,  who  was 
not  greatly  beloved,  even  in  his  own  family." 

"  Of  course  you  down  anchor,  and  said  you  never  would 
quit  the  moorings  of  home?  " 

"  If  I  rightly  understand  you,  sir,  I  did  something  very 
different.  I  got  privately  married  to  George,  and  he  kept 
school  near  a  twelvemonth  longer,  up,  behind  the  hill, 
though  most  of  the  young  women  were  taken  away  from  his 
teaching." 

"  Ay,  the  old  way ;  the  door  was  locked  after  the  horse 
was  stolen !     Well,  you  were  married,  mother " 

"  After  a  time,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  visit  a  kins- 
woman who  lived  a  little  down  the  river.  There  my  first 
child  was  born,  unknown  to  my  parents,  and  George  gave  it 
in  charge  to  a  poor  woman  who  had  lost  her  own  babe,  for 
we  were  still  afraid  to  let  our  secret  be  known  to  my  parents. 
Now  commences  the  punishment  for  breaking  the  fifth  com- 
mandment." 

"How's  that.  Miles?"  demanded  Moses.  "Is  it  ag'in 
the  commandments  for  a  married  woman  to  have  a  son  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not,  my  friend,  though  it  is  a  breach  of  the 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  39 

commandments  not  to  honor  our  parents.  This  good  woman 
alludes  to  her  marrying  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  her  father 
and  mother." 

"  Indeed  I  do,  sir,  and  dearly  have  I  been  punished  for 
it.  In  a  few  weeks  I  returned  home,  and  was  followed  by 
the  sad  news  of  the  death  of  my  first-born.  The  grief  of 
these  tidings  drew  the  secret  from  me,  and  nature  spoke  so 
loud  in  the  hearts  of  my  poor  parents,  that  they  forgave  all, 
took  George  home,  and  ever  afterward  treated  him  as  if  he 
also  had  been  their  own  child.  But  it  was  too  late;  had  it 
happened  a  few  weeks  earlier,  my  own  precious  babe  might 
have  been  saved  to  me." 

"You  cannot  know  that,  mother;  we  all  die  when  our 
time  comes." 

"  His  time  had  not  come.  The  miserable  wretch  to  whom 
George  trusted  the  boy,  exposed  him  among  strangers  to 
save  herself  trouble,  and  to  obtain  twenty  dollars  at  as 
cheap  a  rate  as  possible " 

"  Hold !  "  1  interrupted.  "  In  the  name  of  Heaven,  my 
good  woman,  in  what  year  did  this  occur.?  " 

Marble  looked  at  me  in  astonishment,  though  he  clearly 
had  glimpses  of  the  object  of  my  question. 

"It  was  in  the  month  of  June,  17 — .  For  thirty  long, 
long  years,  I  supposed  my  child  had  actually  died,  and  then 
the  mere  force  of  conscience  told  me  the  truth.  The 
wretched  woman  could  not  carry  the  secret  with  her  into  the 
grave,  and  she  sent  for  me  to  hear  the  sad  revelation." 

"  Which  was  to  say  that  she  left  the  child  in  a  basket  on 
a  tombstone  in  a  marble-worker's  yard  in  the  town — in  the 
yard  of  a  man  whose  name  was  Durfee? "  I  said,  as  rapidly 
as  I  could  speak. 

"She  did,  indeed!  though  it  is  a  marvel  to  me  that  a 
stranger  should  know  this.  What  will  be  God's  pleasure 
next!" 

Marble  groaned.  Hfe  hid  his  face  in  his  hands,  while  the 
poor  woman  looked  from  one  of  us  to  the  other,  in  be- 


40  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

wildered  expectation  of  what  was  to  follow.  I  could  not 
leave  her  long  in  doubt;  but,  preparing  her  for  what  was  to 
follow,  by  little  and  little  I  gave  her  to  understand  that  the 
man  she  saw  before  her  was  her  son.  After  half  a  century 
of  separation,  the  mother  and  child  had  thus  been  thrown 
together  by  the  agency  of  an  inscrutable  Providence!  The 
reader  will  readily  anticipate  the  character  of  the  explana- 
tions that  succeeded.  Of  the  truth  of  the  circumstances 
there  could  not  be  a  shadow  of  doubt,  when  everything  was 
related  and  compared.  Mrs.  Wetmore  had  ascertained  from 
her  unfaithful  nurse  the  history  of  her  child  as  far  as  the 
almshouse,  but  thirty  years  had  left  a  gap  in  the  informa- 
tion she  had  received,  and  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  ob- 
tain the  name  under  which  he  had  left  that  institution.  The 
Revolution  was  just  over  when  she  made  her  application, 
and  it  was  thought  that  some  of  the  books  had  been  taken 
away  by  a  refugee.  Still,  there  were  a  plenty  of  persons  to 
Supply  traditions  and  conjectures,  and  so  anxious  were  she 
and  her  husband  to  trace  these  groundless  reports  to  their 
confirmation  or  refutation,  that  much  money  and  time  were 
thrown  away  in  the  fruitless  attempts.  At  length  one  of  the 
old  attendants  of  the  children's  department  was  discovered, 
who  professed  to  know  the  whole  history  of  the  child 
brought  from  the  stonecutter's  yard.  This  woman  doubtless 
was  honest,  but  her  memory  had  deceived  her.  She  said 
that  the  boy  had  been  called  Stone,  instead  of  Marble,  a 
mistake  that  was  natural  enough  in  itself,  but  which  was 
probably  owing  to  the  fact  that  another  child  of  the  first 
name  had  really  left  the  institution  a  few  months  before 
Moses  took  his  leave.  This  Aaron  Stone  had  been  traced, 
first,  as  an  apprentice  to  a  tradesman,  thence  into  a  regi- 
ment of  foot  in  the  British  army,  which  regiment  had  ac- 
companied the  rest  of  the  forces  at  the  evacuation,  Novem- 
ber 25th,  1783. 

The  VVetmores  fancied    they  were  now  on   the  track  of 
their   child.     He  was  traced  down  to   a  period   within   a 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  4 1 

twelvemonth  of  that  of  the  search,  and  was  probably  to  be 
found  in  England,  still  wearing  the  livery  of  the  king.  After 
a  long  consultation  between  the  disconsolate  parents,  it  was 
determined  that  George  Wetmore  should  sail  for  England 
in  the  hope  of  recovering  their  son.  But,  by  this  time  money 
was  scarce.  These  worthy  people  were  enabled  to  live  in 
comfort  on  their  little  farm,  but  they  were  not  rich  in  cash. 
All  the  loose  coin  was  gone  in  the  previous  search,  and  even 
a  small  debt  had  been  contracted  to  enable  them  to  proceed 
as  far  as  they  had.  No  alternative  remained  but  to  mort- 
gage their  home.  This  was  done  with  great  reluctance;  but 
what  will  not  a  parent  do  for  his  child?  A  country  lawyer, 
of  the  name  of  Van  Tassel,  was  ready  enough  to  advance 
five  hundred  on  a  place  that  was  worth  quite  three  thousand 
dollars.  This  man  was  one  of  the  odious  class  of  country 
usurers,  a  set  of  cormorants  that  are  so  much  worse  than 
their  town  counterparts,  because  their  victims  are  usually 
objects  of  real,  and  not  speculative  distress,  and  as  ignorant 
and  unpractised  as  they  are  necessitous.  It  is  wonderful 
with  what  far-sighted  patience  one  of  these  wretches  will 
bide  his  time,  in  order  to  effect  a  favorite  acquisition.  Mrs. 
Wetmore's  little  farm  was  very  desirable  to  this  Squire  Van 
Tassel,  for  reasons  in  addition  to  its  intrinsic  value;  and 
for  years  nothing  could  be  kinder  and  more  neighborly  than 
his  indulgence.  Interest  was  allowed  to  accumulate,  until 
the  whole  debt  amounted  to  the  sum  of  a  thousand  dollars. 
In  the  meantime  the  father  went  to  England,  found  the  sol- 
dier after  much  trouble  and  expense,  ascertained  that  Stone 
knew  his  parents,  one  of  whom  had  died  in  the  almshouse, 
and  spent  all  his  money. 

Years  of  debt  and  anxiety  succeeded,  until  the  father 
sunk  under  his  misfortunes.  An  only  daughter  also  died, 
leaving  Kitty  a  legacy  to  her  widowed  mother,  the  other 
parent  having  died  even  before  her  birth.  Thus  was  Kath- 
arine Van  Duzer,  our  old  hostess,  left  to  struggle  on  nearly 
alone,  at  the  decline  of  life,  with  a  poverty  that  was  daily 


42  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

increasing,  years,  and  this  infant  grand-daughter.  Just  be* 
fore  his  death,  however,  George  Wetmore  had  succeeded  in 
selling  a  portion  of  his  farm,  that  which  was  least  valuable 
to  himself,  and  with  the  money  he  paid  off  Van  Tassel's 
mortgage.  This  was  his  own  account  of  the  matter,  and  he 
showed  to  his  wife  Van  Tassel's  receipt,  the  money  having 
been  paid  at  the  county  town,  where  the  bond  and  mortgage 
could  not  be  then  produced.  This  was  shortly  before  Wet- 
mores'  last  illness.  A  twelvemonth  after  his  death,  the 
widow  was  advised  to  demand  the  bond,  and  to  take  the 
mortgage  off  record.  But  the  receipt  was  not  to  be  found. 
With  a  woman's  ignorance  of  such  matters,  the  widow  let 
this  fact  leak  out;  and  her  subsequent  demand  for  the  re- 
lease was  met  with  a  counter  one  for  evidence  of  payment. 
This  was  the  commencement  of  Van  Tassel's  hostile  atti- 
tude; and  things  had  gone  as  far  as  a  foreclosure,  and  an 
advertisement  for  a  sale,  when  the  good  woman  thus  oppor- 
tunely discovered  her  son ! 


CHAPTER   III. 


I  charge  you  by  the  law, 
Whereof  you  are  a  well-deserving  pillar, 
Proceed  to  judgment ;  by  my  soul  I  swear 
There  is  no  power  in  the  tongue  of  man 
To  alter  me  ;  I  stay  here  on  my  bond. 

Shylock. 

It  is  not  easy  to  describe  the  immediate  effect  of  this  dis- 
covery on  either  of  the  parties  most  concerned.  Not  a  doubt 
remained  on  the  mind  of  either,  after  the  facts  were  ex- 
plained, of  the  reality  of  the  relationship;  for  that  was  so 
simply  proved,  as  to  place  the  circumstance  beyond  all  dis- 
pute. Mrs.  Wetmore  thought  of  her  lost  son  as  of  an  inno- 
cent, smiling  babe;  and  here  she  found  him  a  red-faced, 
hard-featured,  weather-beaten  tar,  already  verging  towards 
age,  and  a  man  of  manners  that  were  rough,  if  not  rude. 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  43 

She  could  not  at  first  possess  any  knowledge  of  the  better 
points  in  his  character,  and  was  compelled  to  receive  this 
boon  from  Providence  as  it  was  offered.  Nevertheless,  a 
mother's  love  is  not  easily  dissatisfied  or  smothered ;  and 
ere  I  left  the  house,  I  could  see  the  old  woman's  eyes  fixed 
on  Marble  with  an  expression  of  interest  and  tenderness 
they  had  not  manifested  previously  to  the  revelations. 

As  for  the  mate  himself,  now  that  the  fondest  wish  of  his 
life  was  so  unexpectedly  gratified,  he  was  taken  so  much  by 
surprise  that  he  appeared  to  think  something  was  wanting. 
He  found  his  mother  the  reputable  widow  of  a  reputable 
man,  of  a  class  in  life  quite  equal  to  his  own,  living  on  a 
property  that  was  small,  certainly,  and  involved,  but  prop- 
erty that  had  been  long  in  her  family.  The  truth  was,  Mar- 
ble felt  so  much  at  this  unlooked-for  appeal  to  his  gentler 
feelings,  that  one  of  his  stern  nature  did  not  know  how  to  an- 
swer it  on  the  emergency ;  and  the  obstinacy  of  his  tempera- 
ment rather  induced  him  to  resist,  than  to  yield  to  such  un- 
wonted sentiments.  I  could  see  he  was  satisfied  with  his 
mother,  while  he  was  scarcely  satisfied  with  himself;  and, 
with  a  view  to  place  both  parties  in  truer  positions,  I  desired 
Moses  to  walk  down  and  look  at  the  boat,  while  I  remained 
alone  with  his  new-found  parent.  This  was  not  done,  how- 
ever, until  all  the  explanations  had  been  made,  and  the 
mother  had  both  blessed  and  wept  over  her  child.  It  was 
done,  indeed,  principally  to  relieve  Marble  from  the  oppres- 
sion of  feeling  created  by  this  very  scene. 

As  soon  as  alone  with  Mrs.  Wetmore,  I  explained  to  her 
my  own  connection  with  Marble,  and  gave  her  a  sort  of 
apologetic  account  of  his  life  and  character,  keeping  down 
the  weak  points,  and  dwelling  on  the  strong.  I  set  her 
mind  at  ease,  at  once,  on  the  subject  of  the  farm;  for, 
should  the  worst  happen,  her  son  had  double  the  amount  of 
money  that  would  be  necessary  to  discharge  the  mortgage. 

"  The  debt  was  incur»ed,  my  dear  Mrs.  Wetmore,  in  his 
behalf;  and  he  will  be  happy  to  discharge  it  on  the  spot.     I 


44  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

would  advise  you  to  pay  the  money  at  once.  Should  the  re- 
ceipt ever  be  found,  this  Van  Tassel  will  be  obliged  to  re- 
fund; for  though  the  law  winks  at  many  wrongs,  it  will  not 
wink  at  one  so  atrocious  as  this,  provided  you  can  satisfy  it 
with  proof.     I  shall  leave  Moses " 

"His  name  is  Oloff, or  Oliver,"  interrupted  the  old  wom- 
an, eagerly;  "I  named  him  after  my  own  father,  and  had 
him  duly  christened,  before  he  was  entrusted  to  the  nurse, 
in  the  hope  it  might  soften  his  grandfather's  heart,  when  he 
came  to  know  of  my  marriage.  Oloff  Van  Duzer  Wetmore 
is  his  real  name." 

I  smiled  to  think  of  Marble's  sailing  under  such  an  ap- 
pellation, and  was  about  to  suggest  a  compromise,  when  the 
subject  of  our  discourse  returned.  The  mate  had  regained 
his  composure  during  the  half  hour  he  had  been  absent; 
and  I  saw  by  the  kind  glance  he  threw  on  his  mother,  whose 
look  answered  his  own  more  naturally  than  I  could  have 
hoped,  that  things  were  getting  right;  and,  by  way  of  re- 
moving the  awkwardness  of  excessive  sensibility,  I  pursued 
the  discourse. 

"  We  were  talking  of  your  true  name,  Moses,  as  you  came 
in,"  I  said.  "It  will  never  do  for  you  to  hail  by  one  name, 
while  your  mother  hails  by  another.  You'll  have  to  cut 
adrift  from  Moses  Marble  altogether." 

"If  I  do,  may  I  be " 

"  Hush,  hush — you  forget  where  you  are,  and  in  whose 
presence  you  stand." 

"  I  hope  my  son  will  soon  learn  that  he  is  always  in  the 
presence  of  his  God,"  observed  the  mother,  plaintively. 

"  Ay,  ay — that's  all  right,  mother,  and  you  shall  do  with 
me  just  what  you  please  in  any  of  them  matters;  but  as  for 
not  being  Moses  Marble,  you  might  as  well  ask  me  not  to 
be  myself.  I  should  be  another  man,  to  change  my  name. 
A  fellow  might  as  well  go  without  clothes,  as  go  without  a 
name;  and  mine  came  so  hard,  I  don't  like  to  part  with  it. 
No,  no — had  it  come  to  pass,  now,  that  my  parents  had  been 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  45 

a  king  and  a  queen,  and  that  I  was  to  succeed  'em  on  the 
throne,  I  should  reign  as  King  Moses  Marble,  or  not  reign 
at  all." 

"  You'll  think  better  of  this,  and  take  out  a  new  register 
under  your  lawful  designation." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  mother,  and  that  will  satisfy 
all  parties.  I'll  bend  on  the  old  name  to  the  new  one,  and 
sail  under  both." 

"  I  care  not  how  you  are  called,  my  son,  so  long  as  no 
one  has  need  to  blush  for  the  name  you  bear.  This  gentle- 
man tells  me  you  are  an  honest  and  true-hearted  man;  and 
those  are  blessings  for  which  I  shall  never  cease  to  thank 
God." 

"Miles  has  been  singing  my  praises,  has  he!  I  can  tell 
you,  mother,  you  had  need  look  out  for  Miles's  tongue. 
Natur'  intended  him  for  a  lawyer,  and  it's  mere  accident  his 
being  a  sailor,  though  a  capital  one  he  is.  But  what  may  be 
my  name,  according  to  law?  " 

"  Oloff  Van  Duzer  Wetmore  Moses  Marble,  according  to 
your  own  expedient  of  sailing  under  all  your  titles.  You 
can  ring  the  changes,  however,  and  call  yourself  Moses 
Oloff  Marble  Van  Duzer  Wetmore,  if  you  like  that  better." 

Moses  laughed,  and  as  I  saw  that  both  he  and  his  new- 
found mother  were  in  a  fit  state  to  be  left  together,  and  that 
the  sun  now  wanted  but  an  hour  or  two  of  setting,  I  rose  to 
take  my  leave. 

"You  will  remain  with  your  mother  to-night.  Marble,"  I 
observed.  "  I  will  keep  the  sloop  at  an  anchor  until  I  can 
see  you  in  the  morning,  when  we  will  settle  the  future  a 
little  more  deliberately." 

"  I  should  not  like  to  lose  my  son  so  soon  after  finding 
him,"  the  old  woman  anxiously  remarked. 

"  No  fear  of  me,  mother — I  berth  under  your  roof  to- 
night, and  so  many  more  in  the  bargain,  that  you'll  be  glad 
enough  to  be  rid  of  me«in  the  end." 

I  then  left  the  house,  followed  by  Marble,  towards  the 


46  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

boat.  As  we  reached  the  little  piece  of  bottom-land,  I  heard 
a  sort  of  suppressed  sob  from  the  mate,  and,  turning  round, 
was  surprised  to  see  the  tears  running  down  his  sun-burned 
cheeks.  His  wrought-up  feelings  had  at  last  obtained  the 
mastery ;  and  this  rude,  but  honest  creature,  had  fairly  given 
in,  under  the  excitement  of  this  strange  admixture  of  joy, 
wonder,  shame,  and  natural  emotion.  I  took  his  hand,  gave 
it  a  hearty  squeeze,  but  said  nothing ;  though  I  stopped,  un- 
willing to  go  nearer  to  Neb  until  my  companion  had  re- 
gained his  composure.  This  he  did,  sufficiently  to  speak,  in 
the  course  of  a  minute  or  two. 

"  It's  all  like  a  dream  to  me,  Miles,"  Moses  at  length  mut- 
tered— "  more  out  of  natur'  like,  than  setting  up  for  a  hermit." 

"  You'll  soon  get  accustomed  to  the  change,  Marble ;  then 
everything  will  seem  in  the  ordinary  way,  and  natural." 

"  To  think  of  my  being  a  son,  and  having  a  real,  living 
mother!" 

"  You  must  have  known  that  you  had  parents  once,  though 
you  are  fortunate  in  finding  one  of  them  alive  at  your  time 
of  life." 

"  And  she  an  honest  woman !  A  mother  the  President  of 
the  United  States,  or  the  first  commodore  in  the  navy, 
needn't  be  ashamed  of !  " 

"All  that  is  fortunate,  certainly;  especially  the  first." 

"  She's  a  bloody  good-looking  old  woman  in  the  bargain. 
I'll  have  her  dressed  up  and  carry  her  down  to  town,  the 
first  opportunity." 

"What  would  you  give  an  old  woman  that  trouble  for? 
You'll  think  better  of  these  matters,  in  the  long  run." 

" Better!  Yes,  I'll  take  her  to  Philadelphia,  and  perhaps 
to  Baltimore.  There's  the  gardens,  and  the  theatres,  and 
the  museums,  and  lots  of  things  that  I  dare  say  the  dear  old 
soul  never  laid  eyes  on." 

"  I'm  mistaken  in  your  mother,  if  she  would  not  prefer  a 
church  to  all  of  them  put  together." 

"  Well,  there's  churches  in  all  of  them  towns.     Put  it  on 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  47 

a  religious  footing,  if  you  will,  and  I  ought  to  take  my 
mother  as  soon  as  possible  down  to  York.  She's  old,  you 
see,  and  cannot  live  forever,  just  to  oblige  me;  and  here 
has  she  been  tied  down  to  one  church  all  her  days,  giving 
her  no  ch'ice  nor  opportunity.  I  dare  say,  now,  variety  is 
just  as  agreeable  in  religion,  as  in  anything  else." 

"You  are  nearer  right  there,  Moses,  than  you  think  your- 
self, possibly.  But  we  can  talk  of  all  these  things  to-mor- 
row. A  good  night's  rest  will  give  us  cooler  heads  in  the 
morning." 

"  I  shall  not  sleep  a  wink  for  thinking  of  it.  No,  no — I'll 
make  the  old  lady  pack  up  before  breakfast,  and  we'll  sail 
in  the  sloop.  I'll  take  her  aboard  the  Dawn  with  me  in 
town,  and  a  comfortable  time  we'll  have  of  it  in  her  cabins. 
She  has  as  good  state-rooms  as  a  yacht." 

There  were  no  liners  in  those  days;  but  a  ship  with  two 
cabins  was  a  miracle  of  convenience. 

"Your  mother  will  hardly  suit  a  ship,  Moses;  and  a  ship 
will  hardly  suit  your  mother." 

"  How  can  any  of  us  know  that  till  we  try?  If  I'm  a  chip 
of  the  old  block,  they'll  take  to  each  other  like  rum  and 
water.  If  I'm  to  go  out  in  the  ship,  I'm  far  from  certain 
I'll  not  take  the  old  woman  to  sea  with  me." 

"  You'll  probably  remain  at  home,  now  that  you  have  a 
home,  and  a  mother,  and  other  duties  to  attend  to.  I  and 
my  concerns  will  be  but  secondary  objects  with  you  here- 
after, Mr.  Wetmore." 

"  Wetmore  be  d — d!  D'ye  mean.  Miles,  that  I'm  to  give 
up  my  calling,  give  up  the  sea,  give  up  youV^ 

"  You  wished  to  be  a  hermit  once,  and  found  it  a  little 
too  solitary;  had  you  a  companion  or  two,  you  would  have 
been  satisfied,  you  said.  Well,  here  is  everything  you  can 
wish;  a  mother,  a  niece,  a  house,  a  farm,  barns,  out-houses, 
garden  and  orchard;  and,  seated  on  that  porch,  you  can 
smoke  cigars,  take  yoitr  grog,  look  at  the  craft  going  up  and 
down  the  Hudson " 


48  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  Nothing  but  so  many  bloody  sloops,"  growled  the  mate. 
"  Such  in-and-in  fore-and-afters  that  their  booms  won't  stay 
guyed  out,  even  after  you've  been  at  the  pains  to  use  a 
hawser." 

"  Well,  a  sloop  is  a  pleasant  object  to  a  sailor,  when  he 
can  get  nothing  better.  Then  there  is  this  Mr.  Van  Tassel 
to  settle  with — you  may  have  a  ten-years'  lawsuit  on  your 
hands,  to  amuse  you." 

"  I'll  make  short  work  with  that  scamp,  when  I  fall  in 
with  him.  You're  right  enough.  Miles;  that  affair  must  be 
settled  before  I  can  lift  an  anchor.  My  mother  tells  me  he 
lives  hard  by,  and  can  be  seen,  at  any  moment,  in  a  quarter 
of  an  hour.    I'll  pay  him  a  visit  this  very  night." 

This  declaration  caused  me  to  pause.  I  knew  Marble  too 
well,  not  to  foresee  trouble  if  he  were  left  to  himself  in  a 
matter  of  this  nature,  and  thought  it  might  be  well  to  in- 
quire further  into  the  affair.  Sailors  do  everything  off-hand. 
Mrs.  Wetmore  telling  me  that  her  son's  statement  was  true, 
on  my  going  back  to  the  house  to  question  her  in  the  mat- 
ter, and  offering  us  the  use  of  an  old-fashioned  one-horse 
chaise,  that  the  only  farm-laborer  she  employed  was  just 
then  getting  ready  to  go  in,  in  quest  of  Kitty,  I  availed  my- 
self of  the  opportunity,  took  the  printed  advertisement  of 
the  sale  to  read  as  we  went  along,  obtained  our  directions, 
and  off  Marble  and  I  went  in  quest  of  the  usurer. 

There  would  be  sufficient  time  for  all  our  purposes.  It  is 
true  that  the  horse,  like  the  house,  its  owner,  the  laborer, 
the  chaise,  and  all  we  had  yet  seen  about  Willow  Cove,  as 
we  had  learned  the  place  was  called,  was  old;  but  he  was 
more  safe  and  sure.  The  road  led  up  the  ascent  by  a  ra- 
vine, through  which  it  wound  its  way  very  prettily;  the 
laborer  walking  by  our  side  to  point  out  the  route,  after 
we  should  reach  the  elevation  of  the  country  that  stretched 
inland. 

The  view  from  the  height,  as  it  might  be  termed  in  refer- 
ence to  the  river,  though  it  was  merely  on  the  level  of  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  49 

whole  region  in  that  portion  of  the  state,  was  both  extensive 
and  pretty.  Willow  Grove,  as  Marble  called  his  mother's 
place  three  or  four  times,  while  our  horse  was  working  his 
way  up  the  ascent,  looked  more  inviting  than  ever,  with 
its  verdant  declivities,  rich  orchards,  neat  cottage,  all  en- 
sconced behind  the  sheltering  cover  of  the  river  heights. 
Inland,  we  saw  a  hundred  farms,  groves  without  number, 
divers  roads,  a  hamlet  within  a  mile  of  us,  an  old-fashioned 
extinguisher-looking  church-spire,  and  various  houses  of 
wood  painted  white,  with  here  and  there  a  piece  of  rustic 
antiquity  in  bricks,  or  stone,  washed  with  lime,  or  some 
livelier  paint;  for  the  Dutch  of  New  York  had  brought  the 
habits  of  Holland  with  them,  delighting  in  colors.  This 
relief  may  be  desirable  in  a  part  of  the  world  where  the 
eternal  green  of  the  meadows  in  a  manner  fatigues  the  eye; 
but  certainly  the  gray  of  nature  has  no  just  competitor  in 
the  tints  of  the  more  artificial  portions  of  the  ordinary  land- 
scape. White  may  make  a  scene  look  gay;  but  it  can  never 
lend  it  dignity,  or  the  solemn  hues  that  so  often  render  the 
loveliness  of  a  vie^y  impressive,  as  well  as  sweet.  When 
this  glaring  color  reaches  the  fences,  it  gives  the  prettiest 
landscape  the  air  of  a  bleaching  yard,  or  of  a  great  laundry, 
with  the  clothes  hung  out  to  dry ! 

The  guide  pointed  out  to  us  the  house  of  Van  Tassel,  and 
another  at  which  we  should  find  Kitty,  who  was  to  be 
brought  home  by  us  on  our  return.  Understanding  the 
course  and  distance,  we  put  to  sea  without  any  misgivings. 
The  horse  was  no  flyer,  and  Marble  and  I  had  plenty  of 
leisure  to  arrange  preliminaries  before  reaching  the  door  to 
which  we  were  bound.  After  some  consultation,  and  a  good 
deal  of  discussion,  I  succeeded  in  persuading  my  companion 
it  would  not  be  wisest  to  break  ground  by  flogging  the  attor- 
ney— a  procedure  to  which  he  was  strongly  inclined.  It  was 
settled,  however,  he  was  at  once  to  declare  himself  to  be  Mrs. 
Wetmore's  son,  and  toldemand  his  explanations  in  that  charac- 
ter; one  that  would  clearly  give  him  every  claim  to  be  heard. 
4 


50  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

"I  know  what  these  usurers,  as  you  call  'em,  Miles,  must 
be,"  said  the  mate.  "They  are  a  sort  of  in-shore  pawn- 
brokers ;  and  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  them,  for  I'll  have 
none.  I've  had  occasion  to  pawn  a  watch  or  a  quadrant,  in 
my  time;  and  bloody  poor  prices  does  a  fellow  get  for  his 
goods  and  chattels.  Yes,  yes;  I'll  let  the  old  gentleman 
know,  at  once,  I'm  Van  Duzer  Oloff  Marble  Wetmore  Moses, 
or  whatever's  my  name;  and  will  stand  up  for  the  right  in 
a  fashion  that  will  surprise  him;  but  what  are  you  to  do  in 
the  meantime?  '^ 

It  struck  me,  if  I  could  get  Marble  to  attempt  practising 
a  sort  of  ruse^  it  would  have  the  effect  to  prevent  his  resort- 
ing to  club-law,  towards  which  I  knew  he  had  a  strong  nat- 
ural disposition,  and  of  which  I  was  still  a  little  afraid. 
With  this  object,  then,  I  conceived  the  following  scheme. 

"  You  shall  simply  introduce  me  as  Mr.  Miles  Walling- 
ford,"  I  said,  "  but  in  a  formal  manner,  that  may  induce 
this  Mr.  Van  Tassel  to  imagine  I'm  a  sort  of  lawyer;  and 
this  may  have  the  effect  to  awe  him,  and  bring  him  to  terms 
the  easier.  Do  not  say  I  am  a  lawyer,  for  that  will  not  be 
true,  and  it  will  also  be  awkward  falling  back  when  the 
truth  comes  to  be  known." 

Marble  took  the  idea,  and  seemed  pleased  with  it,  though 
he  affirmed  that  there  could  be  no  such  thing  as  acting  law- 
yer without  lying  a  little,  and  that  "the  truth  was  too  good 
for  one  of  your  bloody  usurers."  I  got  him  trained,  how- 
ever, by  the  time  we  reached  the  door;  and  we  alighted  as 
well  prepared  for  our  task  as  could  be  expected. 

There  was  nothing  about  the  residence  of  'Squire  Van 
Tassel  to  denote  the  grasping  money-dealer,  unless  a  certain 
negligence  of  the  exterior  might  be  supposed  to  betray  the 
abode  of  such  a  man.  His  friends  wished  to  ascribe  this  to 
an  indifference  to  appearance;  but  the  multitude  more  accu- 
rately imputed  it  to  parsimony.  When  the  very  soul  gets  to 
be  absorbed  in  the  process  of  rolling  gold  over  and  over,  in 
order  to  make  it  accumulate,  the  spirit  grudges  the  with- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  5 1 

drawal  of  the  smallest  fraction  from  the  gainful  pursuit; 
and  here  lies  the  secret  of  the  disdain  of  appearances  that 
is  so  generally  to  be  met  with  in  this  description  of  persons. 
Beyond  this  air  of  negligence,  however,  the  dwelling  of 
Van  Tassel  was  not  to  be  distinguished  from  those  of  most 
of  the  better  houses  of  that  part  of  the  country.  Our  appli- 
cation for  admission  was  favorably  received,  and,  in  a  min- 
ute, we  were  shown  into  the  attorney's  office. 

'Squire  Van  Tassel,  as  this  man  was  universally  termed, 
eyed  us  keenly  as  we  entered,  no  doubt  with  a  view  to 
ascertain  if  we  were  borrowers.  I  might  possibly  have 
passed  for  one  of  that  character,  for  I  aimed  at  looking  seri- 
ous and  thoughtful ;  but  I  would  defy  any  man  to  mistake 
Moses  for  one  who  came  on  such  an  errand.  He  looked 
more  like  a  messenger  sent  by  the  Father  of  Sin,  to  demand 
the  payment  of  a  certain  bond  that  had  been  signed  in 
blood,  and  of  which  the  fatal  pay-day  had  at  length  arrived. 
I  had  to  give  the  skirt  of  his  coat  a  pull,  in  order  to  recall 
him  to  our  agreement,  else  I  do  think  the  first  saluation  re- 
ceived by  the  attorney,  would  have  been  a  broadside  in  any- 
thing but  words.  The  hint  succeeded,  and  Marble  permitted 
our  host  to  open  the  communications. 

'Squire  Van  Tassel  had  a  very  miserly  exterior.  He  even 
looked  ill  fed;  though  doubtless  this  appearance  was  more 
a  consequence  of  habit  of  body,  than  of  short-feeding.  He 
wore  spectacles  with  black  rims,  and  had  the  common  prac- 
tice of  looking  over  them  at  objects  at  a  distance,  which 
gave  him  an  air  still  more  watchful  than  that  which  he  im- 
bibed from  character.  His  stature  was  small,  and  his  years 
about  sixty,  an  age  when  the  accumulation  of  money  begins 
to  bring  as  much  pain  as  pleasure;  for  it  is  a  period  of  life 
when  men  cannot  fail  to  see  the  termination  of  their  earthly 
schemes.  Of  all  the  passions,  however,  avarice  is  notoriously 
that  which  the  latest  loosens  its  hold  on  the  human  heart. 

"  Your  servant,  gentlemen,"  commenced  the  attorney,  in 
a  manner  that  was  civil  enough;  "your  servant;  I  beg  you 


52  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

to  help  yourselves  to  chairs."  We  all  three  took  seats,  at 
this  invitation.  "A  pleasant  evening,"  eying  us  still  more 
keenly  over  his  glasses,  "  and  weather  that  is  good  for  the 
crops.  If  the  wars  continue  much  longer  in  Europe,"  an- 
other look  over  the  glasses,  "  we  shall  sell  all  the  substance 
out  of  our  lands,  in  order  to  send  the  belligerents  wheat.  I 
begin  to  look  on  real  estate  security  as  considerably  less 
valuable  than  it  was,  when  hostilities  commenced  in  1793, 
and  as  daily  growing  less  and  less  so." 

"  Ay,  you  may  say  that,"  Marble  bluntly  answered;  "  par- 
ticularly the  farms  of  widows  and  orphans." 

The  "'Squire"  was  a  little  startled  at  this  unexpected  re- 
ply. He  looked  intently  at  each  of  us  again,  over  the  spec- 
tacles; and  then  asked,  in  a  manner  divided  between  cour- 
tesy and  authority — 

"  May  I  inquire  your  names,  and  the  object  of  this  visit?  " 

"  Sartain,"  said  Marble.  "  That's  reasonable  and  your 
right.  We  are  not  ashamed  of  our  names,  nor  of  our  errand. 
As  for  the  last,  Mr.  Van  Tassel,  you'll  know  it  sooner  than 
you  will  wish  to  know  it;  but,  to  begin  at  the  right  end, 
this  gentleman  with  me  is  Mr.  Miles  Wallingford,  a  par- 
tic'lar  friend  of  old  Mrs.  Wetmore,  who  lives  a  bit  down 
the  road  yonder,  at  a  farm  called  Willow  Grove;  'Squire 
Wallingford,  sir,  is  her  friend,  and  my  friend,  and  I've  great 
pleasure  in  making  you  acquainted  with  him." 

"I  am  happy  to  see  the  gentleman,"  answered  Van 
Tassel,  taking  another  look,  while  at  the  same  time  he 
glanced  his  eye  at  an  alphabetical  list  of  the  attorneys  and 
counsellors  to  see  what  place  I  occupied  among  them. 
"  Very  happy  to  see  the  gentleman,  who  has  quite  lately  com- 
menced practice,  I  should  think,  by  his  age,  and  my  not  re- 
membering the  name." 

"There  must  be  a  beginning  to  all  things,  Mr.  Van 
Tassel,"  I  replied,  with  a  calmness  that  I  could  see  the  old 
usurer  did  not  like. 

"  Very  true,  sir,  and  I  hope  your  future  success  will  be  in 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  53 

proportion  to  the  lateness  of  your  appearance  at  the  bar. 
Your  companion  has  much  more  the  air  of  a  sailor  than  of 
a  lawyer."  This  was  true  enough,  there  being  no  mistaking 
Marble's  character,  though  I  had  put  on  a  body-coat  to 
come  ashore  in.     "  I  presume  he  is  not  in  the  practice." 

"  That  remains  to  be  seen,  sir,"  answered  Marble.  "  Hav- 
ing told  you  my  friend's  name,  Mr.  Van  Tassel,  I  will  now 
tell  you  my  own.  I  am  called  Moses  Marble  Wetmore  Van 
Duzer  Oloff,  sir,  or  some  such  bloody  thing;  and  you're 
welcome  to  take  your  pick  out  of  the  whole  list.  I'll  answer 
to  either  of  them  aliases." 

"  This  is  so  extraordinary  and  unusual,  gentlemen,  I  scarce 
know  what  to  make  of  it.  Has  this  visit  any  connection 
with  Mrs.  Wetmore,  or  her  farm,  or  the  mortgage  I  have 
been  foreclosing  on  the  last?  " 

"  It  has,  sir ;  and  I  am  that  Mrs.  Wetmore's  son — yes, 
sir,  the  only  child  of  that  dear,  good,  old  soul." 

"The  son  of  Mrs.  Wetmore!"  exclaimed  Van  Tassel, 
both  surprised  and  uneasy.  "  I  knew  there  was  a  son ;  but  I 
have  been  always  told  it  was  impossible  to  find  him.  I  see 
no  resemblance,  sir,  in  you,  to  either  George  Wetmore  or 
Kitty  Van  Duzer." 

Now  this  was  not  altogether  true.  As  for  George  Wet- 
more, they  who  had  known  him  in  middle  age,  afterward 
declared  that  Moses  did  resemble  him  greatly;  while  I, 
myself,  could  trace  in  the  mouth  and  milder  expression  of 
the  mate's  features,  a  strong  likeness  to  the  subdued  char- 
acter of  his  aged  mother's  face.  This  resemblance  would 
not  have  been  observed,  in  all  probability,  without  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  affinity  that  existed  between  the  parties;  but, 
with  that  knowledge,  it  was  not  easy  to  overlook. 

"  Resemblance !  "  repeated  Marble,  much  in  the  tone  of 
one  who  is  ready  to  quarrel  on  the  slightest  provocation; 
"  how  should  there  be  any  resemblance  after  the  life  I've 
led?  In  the  first  jplace  I  was  carried  out  of  my  mother's 
sight  in  less  than  ten  days  after  I  was  born.     Then  I  was 


54  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

placed  on  a  tombstone,  by  way  of  encouragement;  after 
which  they  sent  me  to  live  among  paupers.  I  ran  away  at 
ten  years  old,  and  went  to  sea,  where  I've  played  the  part  of 
a  man-of-war's-man,  privateer's-man,  smuggler,  mate,  master, 
and  all  hands;  everything,  in  short,  but  a  pirate  and  muti- 
neer. I've  been  a  bloody  hermit,  Mr.  Van  Tassel,  and  if 
that  won't  take  the  resemblance  to  anything  human  out  of  a 
fellow,  his  face  is  as  unchangeable  as  that  on  a  gold  coin." 

"All  this,  Mr.  Wallingford,  is  so  unintelligible  to  me, 
that  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  explain  it." 

"  I  can  only  add  to  it,  sir,  my  belief  that  every  word  you 
hear  is  true.  I  am  satisfied  that  this  is,  in  a  legal  sense, 
Oloff  Van  Duzer  Wetmore,  the  only  surviving  child  of 
George  Wetmore  and  Katharine  Van  Duzer.  He  has  come 
to  see  you  in  relation  to  a  claim  you  are  said  to  hold  against 
the  farm  his  mother  inherited  from  her  parents." 

"Said  to  hold! — I  certainly  do  hold  George  Wetmore's 
bond,  secured  by  a  mortgage  signed  by  his  wife,  balance 
due,  including  interest  and  costs,  $963.42 ;  and  am  pro- 
ceeding to  sell,  under  the  statute.  One  sale  has  been  post- 
poned to  oblige  the  widow,  for  a  merciful  man  would  not 
wish  to  press  a  single  and  aged  woman,  though  I've  lain 
out  of  my  money  a  very  long  time.  You  are  aware,  sir,  that 
I  lose  all  my  interest  on  interest,  and  must  take  up  with 
just  what  the  law  will  give — hardship  enough  in  active 
times  like  these,  when  not  a  day  passes  that  something  good 
does  not  offer  in  the  way  of  purchasing  the  best  of  securi- 
ties, at  liberal  discounts.  Trade  is  so  lively  now,  Mr.  Wal- 
lingford, that  men  will  almost  sell  their  souls  for  money." 

"  I  rather  think,  sir,  that  some  men  will  do  this  at  all 
times,  nay,  do  it  hourly,  daily.  But  I  am  instructed " — I 
could  not  help  acting  the  counsel  a  little  on  the  occasion — 
"  I  am  instructed  that  the  bond  of  George  Wetmore  is  paid 
in  full." 

"  How  can  that  be,  sir,  while  I  still  hold  bond  and  mort- 
gage?    As  a  business  man,  you  must  understand  the  value 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  55 

to  be  attached  to  the  idle  tales  of  women,  and  can  see  the 
danger  of  taking  their  gossip  for  authority.  George  Wet- 
more  had  some  knowledge  of  business,  and  would  not  be 
likely  to  pay  his  bond  without  taking  it  up,  or  at  least  of 
obtaining  a  receipt,  much  less  leave  the  mortgage  on  record." 

"  I  am  informed  he  did  take  your  receipt,  though  he  pre- 
sumes he  must  have  lost  it  with  a  missing  pocket-book, 
which  his  widow  supposes  to  have  dropped  from  his  coat 
the  very  day  he  returned  from  the  court  where  he  met  you, 
and  where  he  says  he  paid  you  the  money,  being  anxious  to 
stop  interest  as  soon  as  possible." 

"A  very  idle  story,  and  one  you  do  not  suppose  the 
chancellor  will  believe,  confirmed  by  the  hearsay  of  the 
party  interested  in  preserving  the  property.  You  are  aware, 
sir,  that  the  sale  can  be  stopped  only  by  an  injunction  from 
the  Court  of  Chancery." 

Now  I  was  certainly  no  lawyer,  but  like  almost  every 
American,  I  knew  something  of  that  branch  of  the  jurispru- 
dence of  the  country,  which  touched  my  own  interests.  As  a 
landholder,  I  had  a  little  knowledge  of  the  law  of  real 
estate,  and  was  not  absolutely  ignorant  of  the  manner  in 
which  matters  were  managed  in  that  most  searching  of  all 
tribunals,  the  Court  of  Chancery.  A  lucky  thought  sug- 
gested itself  to  my  mind  on  the  instant,  and  I  made  use  of 
it  on  the  spur  of  the  moment. 

"It  is  quite  true,  sir,"  I  answered,  "that  any  prudent 
judge  might  hesitate  about  entering  a  decree  on  authority 
no  better  than  the  oath  of  Mrs.  Wetmore  that  she  had  heard 
her  husband  say  he  had  paid  the  money,  but  you  will  re- 
member that  the  party  replying  has  to  swear  to  his  answer. 
All  of  us  might  be  better  satisfied  in  this  affair,  were  you  to 
make  oath  that  the  money  was  never  paid." 

This  hit  told,  and  from  that  moment  I  did  not  entertain 
a  doubt  that  Wetmore  had  paid  the  money,  and  that  Van 
Tassel  retained  a  pei^ect  recollection  of  the  whole  affair. 
This  much  I  could  read  in  the  man's  altered  countenance 


$6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

and  averted  eye,  though  my  impressions  certainly  were  not 
proof.  If  not  proof,  however,  for  a  court  of  justice,  they 
served  to  enlist  me  earnestly  in  the  pursuit  of  the  affair, 
into  which  I  entered  warmly  from  that  moment.  In  the 
meantime  I  waited  for  Van  Tassel's  answer,  watching  his 
countenance  the  whole  time,  with  a  vigilance  that  I  could 
easily  see  caused  him  great  embarrassment. 

"  Kitty  Wetmore  and  I  were  born  neighbors'  children," 
he  said,  "and  this  mortgage  has  given  me  more  trouble 
than  all  the  rest  of  my  little  possessions.  That  I  have  been 
in  no  hurry  to  foreclose  is  plain  by  the  length  of  time  I've 
suffered  to  go  by  without  claiming  my  dues.  I  could  wait 
no  longer  without  endangering  my  rights,  as  there  would  be 
a  presumption  of  payment  after  twenty  years,  and  a  pre- 
sumption that  would  tell  harder  against  me  than  old  Kitty's 
oath.  We  are  neighbors'  children,  as  I've  said,  nevertheless, 
and  rather  than  push  matters  to  extremities  I  will  consent 
to  some  sort  of  a  compromise." 

"And  what  sort  of  a  compromise  will  be  agreeable  to 
your  notions  of  justice,  Mr.  Van  Tassel?  " 

"  Why,  sir,  as  Kitty  is  old,  it  would  be  a  sad  thing  to 
drive  her  from  the  roof  under  which  she  was  born.  This 
I've  said  and  thought  from  the  first,  and  say,  now.  Still,  I 
cannot  part  with  my  property  without  a  compensation; 
though  I'm  willing  to  wait.  I  told  Mrs.  Wetmore,  before 
advertising,  that  if  she  would  give  a  new  bond,  making  all 
clear,  and  giving  me  interest  on  the  whole  sum  now  due,  I 
should  be  willing  to  grant  her  time.  I  now  propose,  how- 
ever, as  the  simplest  way  of  settling  the  affair,  to  accept 
from  her  a  release  of  the  equity  of  redemption,  and  to  grant 
her  a  lease,  for  her  own  life,  on  a  nominal  rent." 

Even  Marble  knew  enough  to  see  the  rank  injustice  of 
such  an  offer.  In  addition  to  conceding  the  non-payment  of 
the  debt,  it  was  securing  to  Van  Tassel,  at  no  distant  day, 
the  quiet  possession  of  the  farm,  for  somewhat  less  than 
one-third  its  value.    I  detected  symptoms  of  an  outbreak  in 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  57 

the  mate,  and  was  obliged  to  repress  it  by  a  sign,  while  I 
kept  the  discussion  in  my  own  hands. 

"Under  such  an  arrangement,  sir,"  I  answered,  "  my 
friend  here  would  be  literally  selling  his  birthright  for  a 
mess  of  porridge." 

"  You  will  remember,  Mr.  Wallingford,  that  a  mortgage 
sale,  legally  made,  is  a  ticklish  thing,  and  the  courts  do 
not  like  to  disturb  one.  This  sale  will  take  place  this  day 
week;  and  the  title  once  pasesd,  it  will  not  be  so  easy  a 
matter  to  get  it  repassed.  Mr.  Wetmore,  here,  does  not  look 
like  a  man  ready  to  pay  down  a  thousand  dollars." 

"  We  shall  not  run  the  risk  of  letting  the  title  pass.  I  will 
buy  the  property,  myself,  if  necessary;  and  should  it  after- 
ward appear  that  the  money  has  been  actually  paid,  we  believe 
you  are  sufficiently  secure  for  principal,  interest,  and  costs." 

"You  are  young  in  the  profession,  Mr.  Wallingford,  and 
will  come  to  learn  the  folly  of  advancing  money  for  your 
clients." 

"  I  am  not  in  the  profession  at  all,  sir,  as  you  have  er- 
roneously supposed,  but  am  a  shipmaster;  and  Mr.  Wet- 
more,  or  Marble,  as  he  has  hitherto  been  called,  is  my  mate. 
Still,  we  are  none  the  worse  provided  with  the  means  of 
paying  a  thousand  dollars — or  twenty  of  them,  should  it  be 
necessary." 

"No  lawyer!"  cried  Van  Tassel,  smiling  grimly.  "A 
couple  of  sailors  about  to  dispute  the  foreclosure  of  a  mort- 
gage !  Famous  justice  we  should  get  at  your  hands,  gentle- 
men! Well,  well;  I  now  see  how  it  is,  and  that  this  has 
only  been  an  attempt  to  work  on  my  sympathies  for  an  old 
woman  who  has  been  living  on  my  money  these  twenty 
years.  I  rather  think  your  $963.42  will  prove  to  be  of  the 
same  quality  as  your  law." 

"  And,  yet,  it  struck  me,  Mr.  Van  Tassel,  that  you  rather 
disliked  the  idea  of  swearing  to  the  truth  of  an  answer  to  a 
certain  bill  in  chancety,  which,  if  I  cannot  draw,  one  Abra- 
ham Van  Vechten,  of  Albany,  can ! " 


58  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  Abraham  Van  Vechten  is  skilful  counsel,  and  an  honest 
man,  and  is  not  likely  to  be  employed  in  a  cause  that  rests 
only  on  an  old  woman's  hearsays — and  all  to  save  her  own 
farm!" 

Marble  could  keep  silence  no  longer.  He  told  me  after- 
ward, that,  during  the  dialogue,  he  had  been  taking  the 
measure  of  the  old  usurer's  foot,  and  felt  it  would  be  a  dis- 
grace to  strike  so  feeble  a  creature;  but,  to  sit  and  hear  his 
newly  found  mother  sneered  at,  and  her  just  rights  derided, 
was  more  than  his  patience  could  endure.  Rising  abruptly, 
therefore,  he  broke  out  at  once  in  one  of  the  plainest  philip- 
pics of  the  sea.  I  shall  not  repeat  all  he  said;  for,  to  ren- 
der it  justly,  might  be  to  render  it  offensive ;  but,  in  addi- 
tion to  calling  old  Van  Tassel  by  a  great  many  names  that 
were  as  unusual  as  they  were  quaint,  he  called  him  by  sev- 
eral that  would  be  familiar  to  the  ears  of  most  of  my  read- 
ers, besides  being  perfectly  well  merited.  I  allowed  his 
humor  to  find  vent;  and,  giving  the  attorney  to  understand 
he  should  hear  further  from  us,  I  succeeded  in  getting  my 
companion  to  the  wagon,  without  coming  to  blows.  I  could 
see  that  Van  Tassel  was  very  far  from  being  at  his  ease,  and 
that  he  would  still  gladly  keep  us,  if  he  could,  in  the  hope 
of  bringing  about  some  sort  of  a  compromise,  if  possible; 
but  I  thought  it  wisest  to  let  matters  rest  a  while,  after  the 
decided  demonstration  we  had  already  made. 

It  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  get  Marble  into  the  vehicle; 
but  this  was  no  sooner  effected,  than  I  trotted  him  off, 
down  the  road,  taking  the  direction  of  the  house  where  we 
had  been  told  to  seek  Kitty  Huguenin,  old  Mrs.  Wetmore's 
grand-daughter,  who  would  be  waiting  the  appearance  of  the 
chaise,  in  order  to  return  home. 

"  You  must  put  on  a  more  amicable  look,''  said  I  to  the 
mate,  as  we  went  on  our  way,  "or  you'll  frighten  your  niece; 
with  whom,  you  will  remember,  you  are  about  to  make  an 
acquaintance." 

"  The  cheating  vagabond,  to  take  advantage  of  a  poor, 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  59 

lonely  old  woman,  whose  only  husband  was  in  the  grave, 
and  only  son  at  sea !  "  the  mate  continued  to  mutter.  "  Talk 
about  the  commandments!  I  should  like  to  know  what  com- 
mandment this  waF  breaking.     The  whole  six,  in  a  batch." 

"The  tenth,  I  am  inclined  to  think,  my  friend;  and  that 
is  a  commandment  broken  all  day,  and  every  day." 

The  denunciations  of  the  mate  continued  for  some  time 
longer,  and  then  went  off  like  the  rumbling  of  distant  thun- 
der in  the  heavens  after  the  passage  of  the  gust. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

No  Moorish  maid  might  hope  to  vie 
With  Laila's  cheek,  or  Laila's  eye  ; 
No  maiden  loved  with  purer  truth, 
Or  ever  loved  a  lovelier  youth. 

SOUTHBY. 

"Miles,"  said  Moses,  suddenly,  after  riding  a  short  dis- 
tance in  silence,  "  I  must  quit  the  old  lady,  this  very  night, 
and  go  down  with  you  to  town.  We  must  have  that  money 
up  at  the  place  of  sale,  in  readiness  for  the  vagabond;  for, 
as  to  letting  him  have  the  smallest  chance  at  Willow  Grove, 
that  is  out  of  the  question." 

"  As  you  please.  Marble ;  but,  now,  get  yourself  in  trim 
to  meet  another  relation ;  the  second  you  have  laid  eyes  on, 
in  this  world." 

"Think  of  that.  Miles!  Think  of  my  having  two  rela- 
tions! A  mother  and  a  niece!  Well,  it  is  a  true  saying, 
that  it  never  rains  but  it  pours." 

"You  probably  have  many  more,  uncles,  aunts,  and 
cousins  in  scores.  The  Dutch  are  famous  for  counting 
cousins;  and  no  doubt  you'll  have  calls  on  you  from  half 
the  county." 

I  saw  that  Marble  was  perplexed,  and  did  not  know,  at 
first,  but  he  was  getting  to  be  embarrassed  by  this  affluence 
of  kindred.     The  mate,  however,  was  not  the  man  long  to 


60  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

conceal  his  thoughts  from  me;  and  in  the  strength  of  his 
feelings  he  soon  let  his  trouble  be  known. 

"  I  say,  Miles,"  he  rejoined,  "  a  fellow  may  be  bothered 
with  felicity,  I  find.  Now,  here,  in  ten  minutes  perhaps,  I 
shall  have  to  meet  my  sister's  dartar — my  own,  born,  blood 
niece;  a  full-grown,  and  I  dare  say,  a  comely  young  woman  ; 
and  hang  me  if  I  know  exactly  what  a  man  ought  to  say  in 
such  a  state  of  the  facts.  Generalizing  won't  do  with  these 
near  relations;  and  I  suppose  a  sister's  dartar  is  pretty 
much  the  same  to  a  chap  as  his  own  dartar  would  be,  pro- 
vided he  had  one." 

"  Exactly ;  had  you  reasoned  a  month,  you  could  not  have 
hit  upon  a  better  solution  of  the  difficulty  than  this.  Treat 
this  Kitty  Huguenin  just  as  you  would  treat  Kitty  Marble." 

"Ay,  ay:  all  this  is  easy  enough  aforehand,  and  to  such 
scholars  as  you;  but  it  comes  hard  on  a  fellow  like  myself 
to  heave  his  idees  out  of  him,  as  it  might  be,  with  a  wind- 
lass. I  managed  the  old  woman  right  well,  and  could  get 
along  with  a  dozen  mothers,  better  than  with  one  sister's 
dartar.  Suppose  she  should  turn  out  a  girl  with  black  eyes, 
and  red  cheeks,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing;  I  dare  say  she 
would  expect  me  to  kiss  her?  " 

"Certainly;  she  will  expect  that,  should  her  eyes  even  be 
white,  and  her  cheeks  black.  Natural  affection  expects  this 
much  even  among  the  least  enlightened  of  the  human  race." 

"  I  am  disposed  to  do  everything  according  to  usage,"  re- 
turned Marble,  quite  innocently,  and  more  discomposed  by 
the  situation  in  which  he  so  unexpectedly  found  himself, 
than  he  might  have  been  willing  to  own;  "while,  at  the 
same  time,  I  do  not  wish  to  do  anything  that  is  not  expected 
from  a  son  and  an  uncle.  If  these  relations  had  only  come 
one  at  a  time." 

"  Poh,  poh,  Moses— do  not  be  quarrelling  with  your  good 
luck,  just  as  it's  at  its  height.  Here  is  the  house,  and  I'll 
engage  one  of  those  four  girls  is  your  niece — that  with  the 
bonnet,  for  a  dollar;  she  being  ready  to  go  home,  and  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  6l 

whole  having  come  to  the  door,  in  consequence  of  seeing 
the  chaise  driving  down  the  road.  They  are  puzzled  at  find- 
ing us  in  it,  however,  instead  of  the  usual  driver." 

Marble  hemmed,  attempted  to  clear  his  Ihroat,  pulled 
down  both  sleeves  of  his  jacket,  settled  his  black  handker- 
chief to  his  mind,  slyly  got  rid  of  his  quid,  and  otherwise 
"cleared  ship  for  action,"  as  he  would  have  been  very  apt 
to  describe  his  own  preparations.  After  all,  his  heart  failed 
him  at  the  pinch;  and  just  as  I  was  pulling  up  the  horse, 
he  said  to  me,  in  a  voice  so  small  and  delicate  that  it 
sounded  odd  to  one  who  had  heard  the  man's  thunder,  as  he 
hailed  yards  and  tops  in  gales  of  wind : 

"Miles,  my  dear  boy,  I  do  not  half  like  this  business; 
suppose  you  get  out,  and  open  the  matter  to  the  ladies. 
There's  four  of  them,  you  see,  and  that's  three  too  many. 
Go,  now,  Miles,  that's  a  good  fellow,  and  I'll  do  the  same 
for  you  another  time.  I  can't  have  Jour  nieces  here,  you'll 
own  yourself." 

"  And  while  I  am  telling  your  story  to  your  niece,  your 
own  sister's  daughter,  what  will  you  be  doing  here,  pray? " 

"  Doing?  Why  anything,  my  dear  Miles,  that  can  be  use- 
ful. I  say,  boy,  do  you  think  she  looks  anything  like  me? 
When  you  get  nearer,  if  you  should  think  so,  just  hold  up  a 
hand  as  a  signal,  that  I  may  not  be  taken  by  surprise.  Yes, 
yes;  you  go  first,  and  I'll  follow;  and,  as  for  *doing,'  why, 
you  know,  I  can  hold  this  bloody  horse." 

I  laughed,  threw  the  reins  to  Marble,  who  seized  them 
with  both  hands,  as  if  the  beast  required  holding,  while  I 
alighted,  and  walked  to  the  cluster  of  girls,  who  awaited  my 
movements  in  surprise  and  silence.  Since  that  day,  I  have 
seen  more  of  the  world  than  might  have  been  expected  in 
one  of  my  early  career;  and  often  have  I  had  occasion  to 
remark  the  tendency  there  exists  to  extremes  in  most  things; 
in  manners,  as  well  as  in  every  other  matter  connected  with 
human  feelings.  bA-s  we  become  sophisticated,  acting  takes 
the  place  of  nature,  and  men  and  women  often  affect  the 


62  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

greatest  indiflference  in  cases  in  which  they  feel  the  liveliest 
interest.  This  is  the  source  of  the  ultra  sangfroid  of  what 
is  termed  high  breeding,  which  would  have  caused  the  four 
young  women,  who  then  stood  in  the  dooryard  of  the  re- 
spectable farm-house  at  which  I  had  alighted,  to  assume  an 
air  as  cold,  and  as  marble-like,  at  the  sudden  appearance  of 
Mrs.  Wetmore's  chaise,  containing  two  strange  faces,  as  if 
they  had  been  long  expecting  our  arrival,  and  were  a  little 
displeased  it  had  not  occurred  an  hour  sooner.  Such,  how- 
ever, was  not  my  reception.  Though  the  four  girls  were  all 
youthful,  blooming,  pretty,  delicate  in  appearance,  accord- 
ing to  the  fashion  of  American  women,  and  tolerably  well 
attired,  they  had  none  of  the  calm  exterior  of  conventional 
manner.  One  would  speak  quick  to  another;  looks  of  sur- 
prise were  often  exchanged ;  there  were  not  a  few  downright 
giggles,  and  then  each  put  on  as  dignified  an  air  to  meet 
the  stranger  as,  under  the  circumstances,  she  could  assume. 

"I  presume  Miss  Kitty  Huguenin  is  among  you,  young 
ladies,"  I  commenced,  bowing  as  civilly  as  was  necessary; 
"for  this  appears  to  be  the  house  to  which  we  were 
directed." 

A  girl  of  about  sixteen,  of  decidedly  pleasing  appearance, 
and  one  who  bore  a  sufficient  resemblance  to  old  Mrs.  Wet- 
more  to  be  recognized,  advanced  a  step  out  of  the  group,  a 
little  eagerly,  and  then  as  suddenly  checked  herself,  with  the 
timidity  of  her  years  and  sex,  as  if  afraid  of  going  too  far. 

"  I  am  Kitty,"  she  said,  changing  color  once  or  twice ; 
now  flushing,  and  now  growing  pale.  "Is  anything  the  mat- 
ter, sir?  has  grandmother  sent  for  me?  " 

"Nothing  is  the  matter,  unless  you  can  call  good  news 
something  the  matter.  We  have  just  left  your  grandmother's 
on  business,  having  been  up  to  'Squire  Van  Tassel's  on  her 
affairs ;  rather  than  let  us  go  on  foot,  she  lent  us  her  chaise, 
on  condition  that  we  should  stop  on  our  return  and  bring 
you  home  with  us.  The  chaise  is  the  evidence  that  we  act 
under  orders," 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  63 

In  most  countries,  such  a  proposition  would  have  excited 
distrust;  in  America,  and  in  that  day,  more  especially 
among  girls  of  the  class  of  Kitty  Huguenin,  it  produced 
none.  Then,  I  flatter  myself,  I  was  not  a  very  frightful  ob- 
ject to  a  girl  of  that  age,  and  that  my  countenance  was  not 
of  such  a  cast  as  absolutely  to  alarm  her.  Kitty,  accordingly, 
wished  her  companions  hasty  adieus,  and  in  a  minute  she 
was  placed  between  Marble  and  myself,  the  old  vehicle  be- 
ing sufficiently  spacious  to  accommodate  three.  I  made  my 
bows,  and  away  we  trotted,  or  ambled  would  be  a  better 
word.  For  a  brief  space  there  was  silence  in  the  chaise, 
though  I  could  detect  Marble  stealing  sidelong  glances  at 
his  pretty  little  niece.  His  eyes  were  moist,  and  he  hemmed 
violently  once,  and  actually  blew  his  nose,  taking  occasion, 
at  the  same  time,  to  pass  his  handkerchief  over  his  forehead 
no  less  than  three  times  in  as  many  minutes.  The  furtive 
manner  in  which  he  indulged  in  these  feelings,  provoked 
me  to  say — 

"You  appear  to  have  a  bad  cold  this  evening,  Mr.  Wet- 
more,"  for  I  thought  the  opportunity  might  also  be  im- 
proved, in  the  way  of  breaking  ground  with  our  secret. 

"  Ay,  you  know  how  it  is  in  these  matters.  Miles — some- 
how, I  scarce  know  why  myself,  but  somehow  I  feel  bloody 
womanish  this  evening." 

I  felt  little  Kitty  pressing  closer  to  my  side,  as  if  she  had 
certain  misgivings  touching  her  other  neighbor. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  surprised,  Miss  Kitty,"  I  resumed, 
"  at  finding  two  strangers  in  your  grandmother's  chaise  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  expect  it — but — you  said  you  had  been  to  Mr. 
Van  TasseFs,  and  that  there  was  good  news  for  me — does 
'Squire  Van  Tassel  allow  that  grandfather  paid  him  the 
money  ? " 

"  Not  that  exactly,  but  you  have  friends  who  will  see  that 
no  wrong  shall  be  done  you.  I  suppose  you  have  been  afraid 
your  grandmother  and  yourself  might  be  turned  away  from 
the  old  place?" 


64  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  'Squire  Van  Tassel's  daughters  have  boasted  as  much," 
answered  Kitty,  in  a  very  subdued  tone — a  voice,  indeed, 
that  grew  lower  and  more  tremulous  as  she  proceeded — "but 
I  don't  much  mind  them^  for  they  think  their  father  is  to 
own  the  whole  country  one  of  these  days."  This  was  uttered 
with  spirit.  "  But  the  old  house  was  built  by  grandmother's 
grandfather,  they  say,  and  grandmother  was  born  in  it,  and 
mother  was  born  in  it,  and  so  was  I.  It  is  hard  to  leave  a 
place  like  that,  sir,  and  for  a  debt,  too,  that  grandmother 
says  she  is  sure  has  once  been  paid." 

"  Ay,  bloody  hard !  "  growled  Marble. 

Kitty  again  pressed  nearer  to  me,  or,  to  speak  more 
properly,  farther  from  the  mate,  whose  countenance  was  par- 
ticularly grim  just  at  that  moment. 

"All  that  you  say  is  very  true,  Kitty,"  I  replied;  "but 
Providence  has  sent  you  friends  to  take  care  that  no  wrong 
shall  be  done  your  grandmother,  or  yourself." 

"  You're  right  enough  in  that,  Miles,"  put  in  the  mate. 
" God  bless  the  old  lady;  she  shall  never  sleep  out  of  the 
house,  with  my  consent,  unless  it  is  when  she  sails  down  the 
river  to  go  to  the  theatre,  and  the  museum,  the  ten  or  fifteen 
Dutch  churches  there  are  in  town,  and  all  them  'ere  sort  o' 
thingumerees." 

Kitty  gazed  at  her  left-hand  neighbor  with  surprise,  but  I 
could  feel  that  maiden  bashfulness  induced  her  to  press  less 
closely  to  my  side  than  she  had  done  the  minute  before. 

"  I  don't  understand  you,"  Kitty  answered,  after  a  short 
pause,  during  which  she  was  doubtless  endeavoring  to  com- 
prehend what  she  had  heard.  "  Grandmother  has  no  wish  to 
go  to  town;  she  only  wants  to  pass  the  rest  of  her  days, 
quietly,  at  the  old  place,  and  one  church  is  enough  for 
anybody." 

Had  the  little  girl  lived  a  few  years  later,  she  would  have 
ascertained  that  some  persons  required  half  a  dozen. 

"  And  you,  Kitty,  do  you  suppose  your  grandmother  has 
no  thought  for  you,  when  she  shall  be  called  away  herself.?  " 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  6$ 

"  Oh,  yes !  I  know  she  thinks  a  good  deal  of  M<2/,  but  I 
try  to  set  her  heart  at  ease,  poor,  dear  old  grandmother,  for 
it's  of  no  use  to  be  distressing  herself  about  me  /  1  can  take 
care  of  myself  well  enough,  and  have  plenty  of  friends  who 
will  never  see  me  want.  Father's  sisters  say  they'll  take 
care  of  w^." 

"  You  have  one  friend,  Kitty,  of  whom  you  little  think, 
just  now,  and  he  will  provide  for  you." 

"  I  don't  know  whom  you  mean,  sir — unless — and  yet — ■ 
you  can't  suppose  I  never  think  of  God,  sir  ?  " 

"  I  mean  a  friend  on  earth — have  you  no  friend  on  earth 
whom  you  have  not  mentioned  yet?  " 

"I  am  not  sure — perhaps — you  do  not  mean  Horace 
Bright,  do  you,  sir  ?  " 

This  was  said  with  a  bright  blush,  and  a  look  in  which 
the  dawning  consciousness  of  maiden  shame  was  so  singu- 
larly blended  with  almost  childish  innocence,  as  both  to  de- 
light me,  and  yet  cause  me  to  smile. 

"And  who  is  Horace  Bright?"  I  asked,  assuming  as 
grave  an  air  as  possible. 

"Oh!  Horace  is  nobody — only  the  son  of  one  of  our 
neighbors.  There,  don't  you  see  the  old  stone  house  that 
stands  among  the  the  apple  and  cherry  trees,  on  the  bank  of 
the  river,  just  here  in  a  line  with  this  barn  ?  " 

"  Quite  plainly,  and  a  very  pretty  place  it  is.  We  were 
admiring  it  as  we  drove  up  the  road." 

"  Well,  that  is  Horace  Bright's  father's,  and  one  of  the 
best  farms  in  the  neighborhood.  But  you  musn't  mind  what 
he  says,  grandmother  always  tells  me ;  boys  love  to  talk 
grandly,  and  all  the  folks  about  here  feel  for  us,  though 
most  of  them  are  afraid  of  'Squire  Van  Tassel  too." 

"  I  place  no  reliance  at  all  on  Horace's  talk,  not  I.  It  is 
just  as  your  grandmother  tells  you;  boys  are  fond  of  mak- 
ing a  parade,  and  often  utter  things  they  don't  mean." 

"  Well,  I  don't  think  that  is  Horace's  way  in  the  least, 
though  I  wouldn't  have  you  suppose  I  ever  think  the  least 
5 


66  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

in  the  world  about  what  Horace  says  concerning  my  never 
being  left  to  want.    My  own  aunts  will  take  care  of  /^«/." 

"  And  should  they  fail  you,  my  dear,"  cried  Marble,  with 
strong  feeling,  "  your  own  unde  would  step  into  their  places, 
without  waiting  to  have  his  memory  jogged." 

Again  Kitty  looked  surprised,  a  very  little  startled,  and 
again  she  pressed  to  my  side. 

"  I  have  no  uncle,"  she  answered,  timidly.  "  Father  never 
had  a  brother,  and  grandmother^s  son  is  dead." 

"  No,  Kitty,"  I  said,  giving  a  look  at  Marble  to  keep  him 
quiet;  "in  the  last  you  are  mistaken.  This  is  the  good 
news  of  which  we  spoke.  Your  grandmother's  son  is  not 
dead,  but  living,  and  in  good  health.  He  is  found,  acknowl- 
edged, has  passed  the  afternoon  with  your  grandmother,  has 
money  more  than  enough  to  satisfy  even  the  unjust  demand 
of  the  miserly  Van  Tassel,  and  will  be  a  father  to  you.^^ 

"Oh!  dear  me,  can  this  be  true?"  exclaimed  Kitty, 
pressing  still  closer  than  ever  to  my  side.  "  And  are  you 
uncle,  after  all,  and  will  it  all  come  out  as  you  say?  Poor, 
poor  grandmother,  and  I  not  at  home  to  hear  it  all,  and  to 
help  her  under  such  a  great  trial!  " 

"Your  grandmother  was  a  little  distressed  of  course,  at 
first,  but  she  bore  it  all  remarkably  well,  and  is  as  happy  at 
this  moment  as  you  yourself  could  wish  her  to  be.  You  are 
under  a  mistake,  however,  in  supposing  I  am  your  uncle. 
Do  I  look  old  enough  to  be  your  mother's  brother? " 

"  Dear  me,  no — I  might  have  seen  that,  hadn't  I  been  so 
silly — can  it  be  this  other  gentleman?  " 

Here  Marble  took  his  hint  from  nature,  and  clasping  the 
pretty  young  creature  in  his  arms,  he  kissed  her  with  an 
affection  and  warmth  that  were  truly  paternal.  Poor  Kitty 
was  frightened  at  first,  and  I  dare  say,  like  her  grand- 
mother, in  a  slight  degree  disappointed,  but  there  was  so 
much  heartiness  in  the  mate's  manner,  that  it  reassured  her 
in  a  degree. 

"  I'm  a  bloody  poor  uncle,  I  know,  Kitty,  for  a   young 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  6/ 

woman  like  you  to  own,"  Marble  got  out,  though  sorely 
tempted  to  blubber;  "but  there's  worse  in  the  world,  as 
you'll  discover,  no  doubt,  in  time.  Such  as  I  am,  you  must 
take  me,  and  from  this  time  henceforth,  do  not  care  a  straw 
for  old  Van  Tassel,  or  any  other  griping  vagabond  like  him, 
in  York  state." 

"Uncle  is  a  sailor!"  Kitty  answered,  after  being  fairly 
released  from  the  mate's  rough  embrace.  "Grandmother 
heard  once  that  he  was  a  soldier." 

"Ay,  that  comes  of  lying.  I  don't  think  they  could  have 
made  a  soldier  of  me,  had  two  wicked  nurses  run  away  with 
me,  and  had  they  placed  me  on  fifty  tombstones,  by  way  of 
commencing  life.  My  natur'  would  revolt  at  carrying  a 
musket,  for  sartin,  while  the  seas  have  always  been  a  sort  of 
home  to  me." 

Kitty  made  no  answer  to  this,  being  a  little  in  doubt,  I 
believe,  as  to  the  manner  in  which  she  was  to  regard  this 
new  acquisition  of  an  uncle. 

"  Your  grandparents  did  suppose  your  uncle  a  soldier,"  I 
remarked,  "but,  after  the  man  was  seen  the  mistake  was 
discovered,  and  now  the  truth  has  come  out  in  a  way  that 
will  admit  of  no  dispute." 

"How  is  uncle  named?"  demanded  the  niece,  in  a  low 
voice,  and  a  hesitating  manner.  "Mother's  brother  was 
christened  Oloff,  I  have  heard  grandmother  say." 

"Very  true,  dear;  we've  been  all  over  that,  the  old  lady 
and  I.  They  tell  me,  too,  I  was  christened  by  the  name  of 
Moses — I  suppose  you  know  who  Moses  was,  child?  " 

"To  be  sure,  uncle!  "  said  Kitty,  with  a  little  laugh  of 
surprise.    "  He  was  the  great  lawmaker  of  the  Jews." 

"Ha,  Miles,  is  that  so?" 

I  nodded  assent. 

"  And  do  you  know  about  his  being  found  in  the  bul- 
rushes, and  the  story  of  the  king  of  Ethiopia's  daughter? " 

"The  king  of  Egypt,  yofl  mean,  do  you  not,  uncle  Oloff  ?  " 
cried  Kitty,  with  another  little  laugh. 


68  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"Well,  Ethiopia  or  Egypt;  it's  all  pretty  much  the  same 
— this  girl  has  been  wonderfully  edicated,  Miles,  and  will 
turn  out  famous  company  for  me,  in  the  long  winter  even- 
ings, some  twenty  years  hence,  or  when  I've  worked  my  way 
up  into  the  latitude  of  the  dear,  good  old  soul  under  the 
hill  yonder." 

A  slight  exclamation  from  Kitty  was  followed  by  a  blush, 
and  a  change  of  expression,  that  showed  she  was  thinking, 
just  at  that  moment,  of  anything  but  uncle  Oloff.  I  asked 
an  explanation. 

"  It's  only  Horace  Bright,  out  yonder  in  the  orchard,  look- 
ing at  us.  He  will  be  puzzled  to  know  who  is  with  me^ 
here,  in  the  old  chaise.  Horace  thinks  he  can  drive  a  horse 
better  than  any  one  about  here,  so  you  must  be  careful  how 
you  hold  the  reins,  or  use  the  whip.     Horace!  " 

This  boded  no  good  to  Marble's  plans  for  passing  the 
evenings  of  his  old  age  with  Kitty  to  amuse  him;  but,  as 
we  were  now  on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  with  the  cottage  in 
sight,  Horace  Bright  was  soon  lost  to  view.  To  do  the  girl 
justice,  she  appeared  now  to  think  only  of  her  grandmother, 
and  of  the  effects  the  recent  discovery  of  her  son  would  be 
likely  to  produce  on  one  of  her  years  and  infirmities.  As 
for  myself,  I  was  surprised  to  see  Mr.  Hardinge  in  earnest 
conversation  with  old  Mrs.  Wetmore,  both  seated  on  the 
stoop  of  the  cottage,  in  the  mild  summer's  evening,  and 
Lucy  walking,  to  and  fro,  on  the  short  grass  of  the  willow 
bottom,  with  an  impatience  and  restlessness  of  manner  it 
was  very  unusual  for  her  to  exhibit.  No  sooner  was  Kitty 
alighted,  than  she  ran  to  her  grandmother.  Marble  follow- 
ing, while  I  hastened  to  the  point  where  was  to  be  found  the 
great  object  of  my  interest.  Lucy's  face  was  full  of  feeling 
and  concern,  and  she  received  me  with  an  extended  hand, 
that  gracious  as  was  the  act  itself,  and  most  grateful  as  it 
would  have  proved  to  me  under  other  circumstances,  I  now 
feared  boded  no  good. 

"  Miles,  you  have  been  absent  an  age  1 "  Lucy  commenced. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  69 

"I  should  be  disposed  to  reproach  yoif,  had  not  the  extraor- 
dinary story  of  this  good  old  woman  explained  it  all.  I  feel 
the  want  of  air  and  exercise;  give  me  your  arm,  and  we  will 
walk  a  short  distance  up  the  road.  My  dear  father  will  not 
be  inclined  to  quit  that  happy  family,  so  long  as  any  light 
is  left." 

I  gave  Lucy  my  arm,  and  we  did  walk  up  the  road  to- 
gether, actually  ascending  the  hill  I  had  just  descended; 
but  all  this  did  not  induce  me  to  overlook  the  fact  that 
Lucy's  manner  was  hurried  and  excited.  The  whole  seemed 
so  inexplicable,  that  I  thought  I  would  wait  her  own  pleas- 
ure in  the  matter. 

"  Your  friend.  Marble,"  she  continued — "  I  do  not  know 
why  I  ought  not  to  say  our  friend,  Marble,  must  be  a  very 
happy  man  at  having,  at  length,  discovered  who  his  parents 
are,  and  to  have  discovered  them  to  be  so  respectable  and 
worthy  of  his  affection." 

"  As  yet,  he  seems  to  be  more  bewildered  than  happy,  as, 
indeed,  does  the  whole  family.  The  thing  has  come  on  them 
so  unexpectedly,  that  there  has  not  been  time  to  bring  their 
feelings  in  harmony  with  the  facts." 

"  Family  affection  is  a  blessed  thing.  Miles,"  Lucy  re- 
sumed, after  a  short  pause,  speaking  in  her  thoughtful  man- 
ner; "there  is  little  in  this  world  that  can  compensate  for 
its  loss.  It  must  have  been  sad,  sad,  to  the  poor  fellow  to 
have  lived  so  long  without  father,  mother,  sister,  brother,  or 
any  other  known  relative." 

"  I  believe  Marble  found  it  so ;  yet,  I  think,  he  felt  the 
supposed  disgrace  of  his  birth  more  than  his  solitary  con- 
dition. The  man  has  warm  affections  at  the  bottom,  though 
he  has  a  most  uncouth  manner  of  making  it  known." 

"  I  am  surprised  one  so  circumstanced  never  thought  of 
marrying;  he  might,  at  least,  have  lived  in  the  bosom  of 
his  own  family,  though  he  never  knew  that  of  a  father." 

"These  are  the  suggestions  of  a  tender  and  devoted  fe- 
male heart,  dear  Lucy;  but  what  has  a  sailor  to  do  with  a 


70  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

wife?  I  have  heard  it  said  Sir  John  Jervis — the  present 
Lord  St.  Vincent — always  declared  a  married  seaman,  a  sea- 
man spoiled;  and  I  believe  Marble  loves  a  ship  so  well  he 
would  hardly  know  how  to  love  a  woman." 

Lucy  made  no  answer  to  this  indiscreet  and  foolish 
speech.  Why  it  was  made,  I  scarce  knew  myself ;  but  the 
heart  has  its  bitter  moods,  when  it  prompts  sentiments  and 
declarations  that  are  very  little  in  accordance  with  its  real 
impulses.  I  was  so  much  ashamed  of  what  I  had  just  said, 
and,  in  truth,  so  much  frightened,  that,  instead  of  attempt- 
ing to  laugh  it  off,  as  a  silly,  unmeaning  opinion,  or  en- 
deavoring to  explain  that  this  was  not  my  own  way  of  think- 
ing, I  walked  on  some  distance  in  silence,  myself,  and  suf- 
fered my  companion  to  imitate  me  in  this  particular.  I 
have  since  had  reason  to  think  that  Lucy  was  not  pleased 
at  my  manner  of  treating  the  subject,  though,  blessed  crea- 
ture! she  had  another  matter  to  communicate,  that  lay  too 
heavy  on  her  heart  to  allow  one  of  her  generous,  disinter- 
ested nature,  to  think  much  of  anything  else. 

"Miles,"  Lucy  at  length  broke  the  silence  by  saying, 
"  I  wish,  I  do  wish  we  had  not  met  that  other  sloop  this 
morning." 

I  stopped  short  in  the  highway,  dropped  my  beautiful 
companion's  arm,  and  stood  gazing  intently  in  her  face,  as 
if  I  would  read  her  most  inmost  thoughts  through  those 
windows  of  the  soul,  her  serene,  mild,  tender,  blue  eyes.  I 
saw  that  the  face  was  colorless,  and  that  the  beautiful  lips, 
out  of  which  the  words  that  had  alarmed  me  more  by  their 
accents  than  their  direct  signification,  had  proceeded,  were 
quivering  in  a  way  that  their  lovely  mistress  could  not  con- 
trol. Tears,  as  large  as  heavy  drops  of  rain,  too,  were  trem- 
bling on  the  long  silken  eyelashes,  while  the  very  attitude 
of  the  precious  girl  denoted  hopelessness  and  grief! 

"This  relates  to  Grace!  "  I  exclaimed,  though  my  throat 
was  so  parched,  as  almost  to  choke  my  utterance. 

"  Whom,  or  what  else,  can  now  occupy  our  minds.  Miles.? 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  /I 

I  can  scarce  think  of  anything  but  Grace ;  when  I  do,  it  is 
to  remember  that  my  own  brother  has  killed  her!  " 

What  answer  could  I  have  made  to  such  a  speech,  had  my 
mind  been  sufficiently  at  ease  as  respects  my  sister  to  think 
of  anything  else?  As  it  was,  I  did  not  even  attempt  the 
vain  office  of  saying  anything  in  the  way  of  alleviating  my 
companion's  keen  sense  of  the  misconduct  of  Rupert. 

"Grace  is  then  worse  in  consequence  of  this  unhappy 
rencontre  ?  "  I  observed,  rather  than  asked. 

"Oh!  Miles;  what  a  conversation  I  have  had  with  her, 
this  afternoon !  She  speaks,  already,  more  like  a  being  that 
belongs  to  the  regions  of  the  blessed,  than  like  one  of  earth ! 
There  is  no  longer  any  secret  between  us.  She  would  gladly 
have  avoided  telling  me  her  precise  situation  with  Rupert, 
but  we  had  already  gone  so  far,  I  would  know  more.  I 
thought  it  might  relieve  her  mind;  and  there  was  the 
chance,  however  slight,  of  its  enabling  us  to  suggest  some 
expedient  to  produce  still  further  good.  I  think  it  has  had 
some  of  the  first  effect,  for  she  is  now  sleeping." 

"Did  Grace  say  anything  of  your  communicating  the 
miserable  tale  to  me  ?  " 

"It  is,  indeed,  a  miserable  tale!  Miles,  they  were  en- 
gaged from  the  time  Grace  was  fifteen !  Engaged  distinctly, 
and  in  terms,  I  mean ;  not  by  any  of  the  implied  under- 
standings, by  which  those  who  were  so  intimate,  generally, 
might  believe  themselves  bound  to  each  other." 

"  And  in  what  manner  did  so  early  and  long-continued  an 
engagement  cease  ? " 

"  It  came  from  Rupert,  who  should  have  died  first,  before 
he  was  so  untrue  to  himself,  to  my  poor  father,  to  me,  to  all 
of  us.  Miles,  as  well  as  to  his  own  manhood.  It  has  been 
as  we  supposed;  he  has  been  deluded  by  the  kclat  that  at- 
taches to  these  Mertons  in  our  provincial  society;  and 
Emily  is  rather  a  showy  girl,  you  know — at  least  for  those 
who  are  accustomed  oiily  to  our  simple  habits." 

Alas !  little  did  Lucy  then  know — she  has  learned  better 


72  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

since — that  "  showy  "  girls  belong  much  more  to  our  "  sim- 
ple "  state  of  society,  than  to  the  state  of  those  which  are 
commonly  conceived  to  be  more  advanced.  But  Emily  Mer- 
ton  was,  in  a  slight  degree,  more  artificial  in  manner  than 
it  was  usual  for  a  Manhattanese  female  of  that  day,  to  be, 
and  this  was  what  Lucy  meant;  Lucy,  who  always  thought 
so  humbly  of  herself,  and  was  ever  so  ready  to  concede  to 
her  rivals  all  that  could  plausibly  be  asked  in  their  behalf. 

"  I  am  well  aware  how  much  importance  the  leading  set 
among  ourselves  attaches  to  English  connection,  and  Eng- 
lish rank,"  I  answered;  "but  it  does  not  strike  me  Emily 
Merton  is  of  a  class  so  elevated,  that  Rupert  Hardinge  need 
break  his  faith  in  order  to  reap  the  advantage  of  belonging 
to  her  or  her  family." 

"  It  cannot  be  altogether  that.  Miles,"  Lucy  added,  in  an 
appealing,  but  touchingly  confidential  manner;  "you  and  I 
have  known  each  other  from  children,  and,  whatever  may  be 
the  weaknesses  of  one  who  is  so  dear  to  me,  and  who,  I 
hope,  has  not  altogether  lost  his  hold  on  your  own  affec- 
tions, we  can  still  rely  on  each  other.  I  shall  speak  to  you 
with  the  utmost  dependence  on  your  friendship,  and  a  re- 
liance on  your  heart  that  is  not  second  to  that  which  I  place 
on  my  dear  father's;  for  this  is  a  subject  on  which  there 
ought  to  be  no  concealment  between  us.  It  is  impossible 
that  one  as  manly,  as  upright,  as  honest,  I  will  say,  as 
yourself,  can  have  lived  so  long  in  close  intimacy  with 
Rupert,  and  not  be  aware  that  he  has  marked  defects  of 
character." 

"  I  have  long  known  that  he  is  capricious,"  I  answered, 
unwilling  to  be  severe  on  the  faults  of  Lucy's  brother,  to 
Lucy's  own  ear;  "perhaps  I  might  add,  that  I  have  known 
he  pays  too  much  attention  to  fashion,  and  the  opinions  of 
fashionable  people." 

"  Nay,  as  we  cannot  deceive  ourselves,  let  us  not  attempt 
the  ungrateful  task  of  endeavoring  to  deceive  each  other," 
the  true-hearted  girl   replied,  though  she  said  this  with  so 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  73 

great  an  effort,  that  I  was  compelled  to  listen  attentively  to 
catch  all  she  uttered.  "Rupert  has  failings  worse  than 
these.  He  is  mercenary;  nor  is  he  always  a  man  of  truth. 
Heaven  knows  how  I  have  wept  over  these  defects  of  char- 
acter, and  the  pain  they  have  given  me  from  childhood! 
But,  my  dear,  dear  father  overlooks  them  all — or,  rather, 
seeing  them,  he  hopes  all  things ;  it  is  hard  for  a  parent  to 
believe  a  child  irreclaimable." 

I  was  unwilling  to  let  Lucy  say  any  more  on  this  subject, 
for  her  voice,  her  countenance,  I  might  almost  say  her 
whole  figure,  showed  how  much  it  cost  her  to  say  even  this 
much  of  Rupert.  I  had  long  known  that  Lucy  did  not  re- 
spect her  brother  as  much  as  she  could  wish ;  but  this  was 
never  before  betrayed  to  me  in  words,  nor  in  any  other  man- 
ner, indeed,  that  would  not  have  eluded  the  observation  of 
one  who  knew  the  parties  less  thoroughly  than  myself.  I 
could  perceive  that  she  felt  the  awful  consequences  she 
foresaw  from  her  brother's  conduct  gave  me  a  claim  on  her 
sincerity,  and  that  she  was  suffering  martyrdom,  in  order  to 
do  all  that  lay  in  her  power  to  lessen  the  force  of  the  blow 
that  unworthy  relative  had  inflicted.  It  would  have  been 
ungenerous  in  me  to  suffer  such  a  sacrifice  to  continue  a 
moment  longer  than  was  necessary. 

"  Spare  yourself  and  me,  dearest  Lucy,"  I  eagerly  said, 
"  all  explanations  but  those  which  are  necessary  to  let  me 
know  the  exact  state  of  my  sister's  case.  I  confess,  I  could 
wish  to  understand,  however,  the  manner  in  which  Rupert 
has  contrived  to  explain  away  an  engagement  that  has  lasted 
four  years,  and  which  must  have  been  the  source  of  so  much 
innocent  confidence  between  Grace  and  himself." 

"I  was  coming  to  that,  Miles;  and  when  you  know  it, 
you  will  know  all.  Grace  has  felt  his  attentions  to  Emily 
Merton,  for  a  long  time;  but  there  never  was  a  verbal  ex- 
planation between  them  until  just  before  she  left  town. 
Then  she  felt  it  due  to  herself  to  know  the  truth ;  and,  after 
a  conversation  which  was  not  very  particul^fr,  your  sister 


74  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

offered  to  release  Rupert  from  his  engagement,  did  he  in 
the  least  desire  it." 

"And  what  answer  did  he  make  to  a  proposal  that  was  as 
generous  as  it  was  frank  ?  " 

"I  must  do  Grace  the  justice  to  say,  Miles,  that,  in  all 
she  said,  she  used  the  utmost  tenderness  towards  my  brother. 
Still,  I  could  not  but  gather  the  substance  of  what  passed. 
Rupert,  at  first,  affected  to  believe  that  Grace,  herself, 
wished  to  break  the  engagement;  but,  in  this,  you  well 
know,  her  ingenuous  simplicity  would  not  permit  him  to 
succeed.  She  did  not  attempt  to  conceal  how  deeply  she 
should  feel  the  change  in  her  situation,  and  how  much  it 
might  influence  her  future  happiness." 

"  Ay,  that  was  like  both  of  them — like  Rupert,  and  like 
Grace,"  I  muttered,  huskily. 

Lucy  continued  silent  an  instant,  apparently  to  allow  me 
to  regain  my  self-command ;  then  she  continued — 

"  When  Rupert  found  that  the  responsibility  of  the  rup- 
ture must  rest  on  him,  he  spoke  more  sincerely.  He  owned 
to  Grace  that  his  views  had  changed ;  said  they  were  both 
too  young  to  contract  themselves  when  they  did,  and  that  he 
had  made  an  engagement  to  marry,  at  a  time  when  he  was 
unfit  to  bind  himself  to  so  solemn  a  contract — said  some- 
thing about  minors,  and  concluded  by  speaking  of  his  pov- 
erty and  total  inability  to  support  a  wife,  now  that  Mrs. 
Bradfort  had  left  me  the  whole  of  her  property," 

"  And  this  is  the  man  who  wishes  to  make  the  world  be- 
lieve that  he  is  the  true  heir! — nay,  who  told  me,  that  he 
considers  you  as  only  a  sort  of  trustee,  to  hold  half,  or  two- 
thirds  of  the  estate  until  he  has  had  leisure  to  sow  his  wild 
oats!" 

"I  know  he  has  encouraged  such  notions.  Miles,"  Lucy 
answered,  in  a  low  voice;  "how  gladly  would  I  realize  his 
hopes,  if  things  could  be  placed  where  we  once  thought  they 
were!  Every  dollar  of  Mrs.  Bradfort's  fortune  would  I  re- 
linquish with  joy,  to  see  Grace  happy,  or  Rupert  honest." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  75 

"  I  am  afraid  we  shall  never  see  the  first,  Lucy,  in  this 
world,  at  least." 

"  I  have  never  wished  for  this  engagement  since  I  have 
been  old  enough  to  judge  of  my  brother's  true  character. 
He  would  ever  have  been  too  fickle,  and  of  principles  too 
light,  to  satisfy  Grace's  heart,  or  her  judgment.  There  may 
have  been  some  truth  in  his  plea  that  the  engagement  was 
too  early  and  inconsiderately  made.  Persons  so  young  can 
harldy  know  what  will,  or  what  will  not  be  necessary  to 
their  own  characters  a  few  years  later.  As  it  is,  even  Grace 
would  now  refuse  to  marry  Rupert.  She  owned  to  me,  that 
the  heaviest  part  of  the  blow  was  being  undeceived  in  rela- 
tion to  his  character.  I  spoke  to  her  with  greater  freedom 
than  a  sister  ought  to  have  used,  perhaps,  but  I  wished  to 
arouse  her  pride,  as  the  means  of  saving  her.  Alas !  Grace 
is  all  affections,  and  those  once  withered,  I  fear,  Miles,  the 
rest  of  her  being  will  go  with  them." 

I  made  no  answer  to  this  prophetic  remark,  Lucy's  visit 
to  the  shore,  her  manner,  and  all  that  she  had  said,  con- 
vincing me  that  she  had,  in  a  great  degree,  taken  leave  of 
hope.  We  conversed  some  time  longer,  returning  towards 
the  cottage;  but  there  was  nothing  further  to  communicate 
that  it  is  necessary  to  record.  Neither  of  us  thought  of  self, 
and  I  would  as  soon  have  attempted  to  desecrate  a  church, 
as  attempt  to  obtain  any  influence  over  Lucy,  in  my  own 
behalf,  at  such  a  moment.  All  my  feelings  reverted  to  my 
poor  sister  again,  and  I  was  dying  with  impatience  to  return 
to  the  sloop,  whither,  indeed,  it  was  time  to  repair,  the  sun 
having  some  time  before  disappeared,  while  even  the  twi- 
light was  drawing  to  a  close. 


76  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 


CHAPTER    V. 

The  serpent  of^the  field,  by  art 
And  spells,  is  won  from  harming, 
But  that  which  coils  around  the  heart, 
Oh  !  who  hath  power  of  charming. 

Hebrew  Melodies. 

It  was  not  easy  to  make  Mr.  Hardinge  a  sharer  in  my  im- 
patience. He  had  taken  a  fancy  to  Marble,  and  was  as 
much  rejoiced  at  this  accidental  discovery  of  the  mate's  par- 
entage, as  if  he  had  been  one  of  the  family  himself.  With 
such  feelings,  therefore,  I  had  a  good  deal  of  difficulty  in 
getting  him  away.  I  asked  Marble  to  go  off  with  me,  it 
being  understood  that  he  was  to  be  landed  again,  in  order 
to  pass  the  first  night  of  his  recognition  under  his  mother's 
roof.  To  this  scheme,  however,  he  raised  an  objection,  as 
soon  as  told  it  was  my  intention  to  go  down  the  river  as  far 
as  New  York  in  quest  of  further  medical  advice,  insisting  on 
accompanying  me,  in  order  to  obtain  the  thousand  dollars 
with  which  to  face  'Squire  Van  Tassel,  or,  at  least,  his 
mortgage  sale.  Accordingly,  there  were  leave-takings,  and 
about  eight  we  were  all  on  board  the  sloop. 

I  did  not  see,  nor  did  I  ask  to  see,  my  sister  again,  that 
night.  I  had  not  seen  her,  indeed,  since  the  moment  Rupert 
was  discovered  in  company  with  the  Mertons;  and,  to  own 
the  truth,  I  felt  afraid  to  see  her,  knowing,  as  I  did,  how 
much  her  frame  was  apt  to  be  affected  by  her  mind.  It  ap- 
peared to  me  there  remained  but  the  single  duty  to  perform, 
that  of  getting  below  as  fast  as  possible,  in  order  to  obtain 
the  needed  medical  aid.  It  is  true,  we  possessed  Post's 
written  instructions,  and  knew  his  opinion  that  the  chief 
thing  was  to  divert  Grace's  thoughts  from  dwelling  on  the 
great  cause  of  her  malady;  but,  now  he  had  left  us,  it 
seemed  as  if  I  should  neglect  a  most  sacred  duty,  did  I  de- 
lay obtaining  some  other  competent  physician. 

The  tide  turned  at  nine,  and  we  got  immediately  under 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  77 

way,  with  a  light  southwest  wind.  As  for  Marble,  igno- 
rant as  Mr.  Hardinge  himself  of  the  true  condition  of  my 
sister,  he  determined  to  celebrate  his  recent  discoveries  by 
a  supper.  I  was  about  to  object  to  the  project,  on  account 
of  Grace,  but  Lucy  begged  me  to  let  him  have  his  way;  such 
convives  as  my  late  guardian  and  my  own  mate  were  not 
likely  to  be  very  boisterous;  and  she  fancied  that  the  con- 
versation, or  such  parts  of  it  as  should  be  heard  through  the 
bulkhead,  might  serve  to  divert  the  invalid's  mind  from 
dwelling  too  intently  on  the  accidental  rencontre  of  the 
morning.  The  scheme  was  consequently  carried  out;  and, 
in  the  course  of  an  hour,  the  cabins  of  the  Wallingford 
presented  a  singular  spectacle.  In  her  berth  was  Grace, 
patiently  and  sweetly  lending  herself  to  her  friend's  wish 
to  seem  to  listen  to  her  own  account  of  the  reason  of  the 
mate's /<?i"/(3;,  and  to  be  amused  by  his  sallies;  Lucy,  all  care 
and  attention  for  her  patient,  as  I  could  discover  through 
the  open  door  of  the  after-cabin,  while  she  endeavored  to 
appear  to  enter  into  the  business  that  was  going  on  at  the 
table,  actually  taking  wine  with  the  mate,  and  drinking  to 
the  happiness  of  his  newly  found  relatives;  Mr.  Hardinge, 
overflowing  with  philanthropy,  and  so  much  engrossed  with 
his  companion's  good  fortune  as  not  to  think  of  aught  else 
at  the  moment;  Marble,  himself,  becoming  gradually  more 
under  the  influence  of  his  new  situation,  as  his  feelings  had 
time  to  gather  force  and  take  their  natural  direction;  while 
I  was  compelled  to  wear  the  semblance  of  joining  in  his 
festivities,  at  an  instant  when  my  whole  soul  was  engrossed 
with  anxiety  on  behalf  of  Grace. 

"  This  milk  is  just  the  richest  and  best  that  ever  came  on 
board  a  vessel !  '^  exclaimed  the  mate,  as  he  was  about  to 
wind  up  his  own  share  of  the  repast  with  a  cup  of  coffee — ■ 
"  and  as  for  butter,  I  can  say  I  never  tasted  the  article  be- 
fore. Little  Kitty  brought  both  down  to  the  boat  with  her 
own  hands,  and  that  tnakes  them  so  much  the  sweeter,  too, 
for  if  anything  can  add  to  the  excellence  of  eatables,  it  is  to 


78  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

have  them  pass  through  the  hands  of  one's  own  relations. 
I  dare  say,  Mr.  Hardinge,  now,  you  have  verified  this,  time 
and  again,  in  your  own  experience?  " 

"In  feeling,  my  friend;  in  feeling,  often,  though  little  in 
practice,  in  the  sense  that  you  mean.  My  family  has  been 
my  congregation,  unless,  indeed,  Miles  here,  and  his  be- 
loved sister,  can  be  added  to  my  own  children  in  fact,  as 
they  certainly  are  in  affection.  But,  I  can  understand  how 
butter  made  by  the  hands  of  one's  own  mother,  or  by  those 
of  such  a  pretty  niece  as  your  Kitty,  would  taste  all  the 
sweeter." 

"It's  such  a  providential  thing,  as  you  call  it, to  find  such 
a  mother  in  the  bargain !  Now  I  might  have  discovered  a 
slattern,  or  a  scold,  or  a  woman  of  bad  character;  or  one 
that  never  went  to  church;  or  even  one  that  swore  and 
drank;  for,  begging  your  pardon.  Miss  Lucy,  just  such  crea- 
tur's  are  to  be  met  with ;  whereas,  instead  of  any  of  these 
disagreeable  recommendations,  I've  fallen  in  with  an  A  No. 
I  mother;  ay,  and  such  an  old  lady  as  the  King  of  England, 
himself,  need  not  be  ashamed  to  own.*  I  felt  a  strong  de- 
sire, Mr.  Hardinge,  to  get  down  on  my  knees,  and  to  ask 
the  dear,  good  old  soul,  just  to  say,  *  God  bless  you,  my  dear 
son,  Moses,  Van  Duzer,  or  Oloff,  whatever  your  name  may 
be.' " 

"  And  if  you  had,  Mr.  Marble,  you  would  not  have  been 
any  the  worse  for  it.  Such  feelings  do  you  honor,  and  no 
man  need  be  ashamed  of  desiring  to  receive  a  parent's 
blessing." 

"  I  suppose  now,  my  dear  sir,"  added  Marble,  innocently, 
"that  is  what  is  called  having  a  religious  turn?  I've  often 
foreseen  that  religion  would  fetch  me  up,  in  the  long  run ; 
and  now  that  I  am  altogether  relieved  from  bitterness  of 
heart  on  the  subject  of  belonging  to  none,  and  no  one's 

♦  In  that  day,  all  allusions  to  royalty  were  confined  to  the  majesty  of  Great  Britain; 
it  being  no  uncommon  thing,  at  the  commencement  of  this  century,  to  hear  "  The 
Kiog"  toasted  at  many  of  the  best  tables  of  the  country. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  79 

belonging  to  me,  my  sentiments  have  undergone  a  great 
alteration,  and  I  feel  a  wish  to  be  at  peace  with  the  whole 
human  family — no,  not  with  ihQwhole;  I  except  that  rascally 
old  Van  Tassel." 

"  You  must  except  no  one — we  are  told  to  *  love  those  that 
hate  us,  to  bless  those  that  curse  us,  and  to  pray  for  those 
that  despitefully  use  us.'  " 

Marble  stared  at  Mr.  Hardinge ;  for,  to  own  the  truth,  it 
would  have  been  difficult,  in  a  Christian  land,  to  meet  with 
one  of  his  years  who  had  less  religious  instruction  than  him- 
self. It  is  quite  probable  that  these  familiar  mandates  had 
never  been  heard  by  him  before ;  but  I  could  see  that  he 
was  a  little  struck  with  the  profound  morality  that  pervaded 
them ;  a  morality  to  which  no  human  heart  appears  to  be  so 
insensible  as  not  in  secret  to  acknowledge  its  sublimity. 
Still  he  doubted. 

"  Where  are  we  told  to  do  this,  my  dear  sir? "  demanded 
Marble,  after  looking  intently  at  the  rector  for  a  moment. 

"Where?  why,  where  we  get  all  our  divine  precept  and 
inspired  morality,  the  Bible.  You  must  come  to  wish  this 
Mr.  Van  Tassel  good,  instead  of  evil ;  try  to  love,  instead 
of  hating  him." 

"  Is  that  religion  ?  "  demanded  the  mate,  in  his  most  dog- 
matical and  determined  manner. 

"It  is  Christianity — its  spirit,  its  very  essence;  without 
which  the  heart  cannot  be  right,  let  the  tongue  proclaim 
what  delusion  it  may." 

Marble  had  imbibed  a  sincere  respect  for  my  late  guar- 
dian, equally  from  what  he  had  heard  me  say  in  his  favor, 
and  what  he  had  seen  himself,  of  his  benevolent  feel- 
ings, kind-hearted  morality,  and  excellent  sense.  Never- 
theless, it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  teach  a  being  like 
Marble  the  lesson  that  he  was  to  do  good  to  those  who  used 
him  despitefully;  and  just  at  that  moment  he  was  in  a 
frame  of  mind  to  do  ajmost  anything  else,  sooner  than  par- 
don Van  Tassel.     All  this  I  could  see,  understanding  the 


So  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

man  so  well,  and,  in  order  to  prevent  a  useless  discussion 
that  might  disturb  my  sister,  I  managed  to  change  the  dis- 
course before  it  was  too  late;  I  say  too  late,  because  it  is 
not  easy  to  shake  off  two  moralists  who  sustain  their  doc- 
trines as  strongly  as  Mr.  Hardinge  and  my  mate. 

"  I  am  glad  the  name  of  this  Mr.  Van  Tassel  has  been 
mentioned,"  I  observed,  "  as  it  may  be  well  to  have  your 
advice,  sir,  concerning  our  best  mode  of  proceeding  in  his 
affair." 

I  then  related  to  Mr.  Hardinge  the  history  of  the  mort- 
gage, and  the  necessity  there  was  for  promptitude,  inasmuch 
as  the  sale  was  advertised  for  the  ensuing  week.  My  late 
guardian  was  better  acquainted  with  the  country,  up  the 
river,  than  I  was  myself;  and  it  was  fortunate  the  subject 
was  broached,  as  he  soon  convinced  me  the  only  course  to 
be  pursued  was  to  put  Marble  ashore  at  Hudson,  where,  if 
too  late  for  the  regular  stage,  he  might  obtain  some  other 
conveyance,  and  proceed  to  town  by  land.  This  would 
barely  leave  him  time  to  transact  all  the  necessary  business, 
and  to  be  back  in  season  to  prevent  the  title  to  the  Willow 
Cove  from  passing  into  the  usurer's  grasp.  As  was  usual 
with  Mr.  Hardinge,  he  entered  into  this,  as  into  every  good 
work,  heart  and  hand,  and  immediately  set  about  writing 
directions  for  Marble's  government  when  he  got  ashore. 
This  put  an  end  to  the  banquet,  and  glad  was  I  to  see 
the  table  removed,  and  the  other  signs  of  a  tranquil  night 
reappear. 

It  was  twelve  before  the  sloop  was  as  low  as  Hudson, 
and  I  saw  by  our  rate  of  sailing,  that,  indeed,  there  was  lit- 
tle prospect  of  her  reaching  New  York  in  time  for  Marble's 
necessities.  He  was  landed,  therefore,  and  Mr.  Hardinge 
and  myself  accompanied  him  to  the  stage-house,  where  we 
ascertained  that  the  next  morning  after  breakfast  he  would 
be  enabled  to  get  into  the  stage,  which  would  reach  town  in 
the  evening  of  the  succeeding  day.  But  this  was  altogether 
too  slow  for  Marble's  impatience.     He  insisted  on  procur- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  Si 

ing  a  private  conveyance,  and  we  saw  him  drive  out  of  the 
long  street  that  then  composed  most  of  the  city  of  Hudson, 
at  a  slapping  pace,  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning.  This 
important  duty  discharged,  Mr.  Hardinge  and  I  returned 
to  the  sloop  in  which  Neb  had  been  standing  off  and  on,  in 
waiting  for  us,  and  again  made  sail  down  the  river.  When 
I  turned  in,  the  Wallingford  was  getting  along  at  the  rate 
of  about  five  miles  the  hour;  the  wind  having  freshened,  and 
come  out  at  the  westward,  a  quarter  that  just  enabled  her  to 
lay  her  course. 

The  reader  will  easily  imagine  I  did  not  oversleep  my- 
self the  following  morning.  My  uneasiness  was  so  great, 
indeed,  that  I  dreamed  of  the  dreadful  accident  which  had 
produced  my  father's  death,  and  then  fancied  that  I  saw 
him,  my  mother,  and  Grace,  all  interred  at  the  same  time, 
and  in  the  same  grave.  Fortunately,  the  wind  stood  at  the 
west,  and  the  sloop  was  already  within  twenty  miles  of  the 
creek  at  Clawbonny  when  I  got  on  deck.  All  was  quiet 
in  the  after-cabin,  and  Mr.  Hardinge  still  continuing  in  his 
berth,  I  went  out  to  breathe  the  fresh  morning  air,  without 
speaking  to  any  below.  There  was  no  one  on  the  quarter- 
deck but  the  pilot,  who  was  at  the  helm,  though  I  saw  a  pair 
of  legs  beneath  the  boom,  close  in  with  the  mast,  that  I 
knew  to  be  Neb's,  and  a  neat,  dark  petticoat  that  I  felt  cer- 
tain must  belong  to  Chloe.  I  approached  the  spot,  intend- 
ing to  question  the  former  on  the  subject  of  the  weather 
during  his  watch,  but  just  as  about  to  hail  him,  I  heard  the 
young  lady  say,  in  a  more  animated  tone  than  was  discreet 
for  the  character  of  the  conversation — 

"No,  nebber^  sah — nebber^  widout  de  apperbation  of  my 
modder  and  de  whole  famerly.  Mattermony  a  berry  differ 
ting,  Neb,  from  what  you  surposes.  Now  many  a  young 
i^igger  gentleman  imagine  dat  he  has  only  to  coax  his  gal 
to  say  *  yes,'  and  den  dey  goes  to  de  clergy  and  stands  up 
for  de  blessin',  and  inj^gines  all  right  for  de  futur',  and  for 
de  present  time,  all  which  is  just  a  derlusion  and  a  dercep- 
6 


82  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

tion.  No,  sah,  mattermony  a  berry  differ  t'ing  from  dat^  as 
any  old  lady  can  tell  you.  De  fuss  t'ing  in  mattermony  is 
to  hab  a  consent^ 

"  Well,  Chloe,  and  hab'n't  I  had  dis  berry  consent  from 
you  now  for  most  two  year?  " 

"Ay,  dat  not  de  consent  I  surposes.  You  wouldn't  t'ink, 
Neb,  ongrateful  feller,  to  get  marry,  widout  first  askin'  de 
consent  of  Masser  Mile,  I  do  surpose !  You,  who  has  been 
his  own  waiter  so  long,  and  has  gone  to  sea  wid  him  so  often, 
and  has  saved  his  life,  and  has  helped  kill  so  many  hateful 
saverges,  and  has  been  on  a  desert  conternent  wid  him." 

"  I  nebber  told  you  dat,  Chloe — I  said  on  an  island." 

"Well,  what's  the  differ?  You  cannot  tell  me  any  t'ing 
of  edecration,  Neb,  for  I  hab  hear  Miss  Grace  and  Miss 
Lucy  say  deir  lesson  so  often  dat  I  sometimes  surposes  I 
can  say  'em  all,  one  by  one,  almost  as  well  as  my  young  lady 
'emselves.  No,  Neb,  on  dat  subjeck  better  be  silent.  You 
been  much  too  busy  ebber  to  be  edercated,  and  if  I  do  marry 
you,  remember  I  now  tell  you  I  shall  not  enter  into  matter- 
mony wid  you  on  account  of  any  edercation  you  hab." 

"  All  Clawbonny  say  dat  we  can  make  as  good  a  couple, 
Chloe,  as  ebber  stood  up  togedder." 

"  All  Clawbonny  don't  know  much  of  mattermony.  Neb. 
People  talks  inderskrimernaterly,  and  doesn't  know  what 
dey  says,  too  often.  In  de  fuss  place  my  modder,  my  own 
born  modder,  upposes  our  uner,  and  dat  is  a  very  great  dif- 
ferculty  to  begin  wid.  When  a  born  modder  upposes,  a  darter 
ought  to  t'ink  sebberal  time." 

"  Let  me  speak  to  Masser  Mile ;  he'll  fetch  up  her  objeck- 
shun  wid  a  round  turn." 

"What  dat,  Neb?" 

"  It  mean  masser  will  order  her  to  consent." 

"  Dat  nebber  saterfy  my  conscience.  Neb.  We  be  nigger, 
dat  true,  but  no  Clawbonny  master  ebber  tell  a  Clawbonny 
slabe  to  get  marry  or  not  to  get  marry,  as  he  choose.  Dat 
would  be  intollabull,  and  not  to  be  supported!     No, matter- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  83 

mony  is  religion,  and  religion  free.  No  color'  young  lady 
hab  vergin  affeckshun  to  t'row  'em  away  on  just  whom  her 
masser  say.  But,  Neb,  dere  one  odder  differculty  to  our 
uner  dat  I  don't  know — sometime  I  feel  awful  about  it !  " 

As  Chloe  now  spoke  naturally,  for  the  first  time,  Neb  was 
evidently  startled,  and  I  had  sufficient  amusement  and  suffi- 
cient curiosity  to  remain  stationary  in  order  to  hear  what  this 
new  obstacle  might  be.  The  voice  of  the  negress  was  music 
itself,  almost  as  sweet  as  Lucy's,  and  I  was  struck  with  a 
light  tremor  that  pervaded  it,  as  she  so  suddenly  put  an  end 
to  all  her  own  affectation  of  sentiment,  and  nipped  her  airs 
and  graces,  as  it  might  be,  in  the  bud. 

"  Nebber  talk  to  me  of  mattermony.  Neb,"  Chloe  continued, 
almost  sobbing  as  she  spoke,  "  while  Miss  Grace  be  in  dis 
berry  bad  way !  It  hard  enough  to  see  her  look  so  pale  and 
melercholy,  without  t'inking  of  becomin'  a  wife." 

"  Miss  Grace  will  grow  better,  now  Masser  Mile  carry  her 
on  de  water.  If  he  only  take  her  to  sea,  she  get  so  fat  and 
hearty,  no  libbin'  wid  her!  " 

Chloe  did  not  acquiesce  in  this  opinion;  she  rather  in- 
sisted that  "  Miss  Grace  "  was  altogether  too  delicate  and 
refined  a  person  to  live  in  a  ship.  But  the  circumstance  that 
struck  me  with  the  greatest  force,  in  this  characteristic  dia- 
logue, was  the  fact  that  Chloe  betrayed  to  me  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  cause  of  my  sister's  indisposition ;  while,  true  to 
her  sex's  instincts,  and  faithful  to  her  duty,  the  girl  com- 
pletely concealed  it  from  her  lover.  I  was  also  oppressively 
struck  with  the  melancholy  forebodings  that  appeared  in 
Chloe's  manner,  rather  than  in  her  words,  and  which  made 
it  apparent  that  she  doubted  of  her  young  mistress's  recov- 
ery.    She  concluded  the  conversation  by  saying — 

"  No,  no.  Neb,  don't  talk  to  me  of  mattermony  while  Miss 
Grace  so  ill;  and  if  anytin'g  skou/d  happen,  you  need  neb- 
ber talk  to  me  of  it  at  a//.  I  could  nebber  t'ink  of  any  uner 
(union)  should  anyt'ing  happen  to  Miss  Grace.  Lub  (love) 
will  die  forebber  in  de  family,  when  Miss  Grace  die! " 


84  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

I  turned  away  at  this  speech,  the  tears  starting  to  my 
eyes,  and  saw  Lucy  standing  in  the  companion-way.  She 
was  waiting  to  speak  to  me,  and  no  sooner  caught  my  eye, 
than,  beckoning  me  to  her  side,  she  let  me  know  that  my 
sister  desired  to  see  me.  Erasing  every  sign  of  emotion  as 
soon  as  possible,  I  descended  with  Lucy,  and  was  soon  at 
the  side  of  my  sister's  berth. 

Grace  received  me  with  an  angelic  smile;  but  I  almost 
gasped  for  breath  as  I  noticed  the  prodigious  change  that 
had  come  over  her  in  so  brief  a  space.  She  now  looked 
more  like  a  being  of  another  world  than  ever;  and  this,  too, 
immediately  after  coming  from  the  refreshment  of  a  night's 
rest.  I  kissed  her  forehead,  which  had  an  unnatural  chill 
on  it,  I  thought;  and  I  felt  the  feeble  pressure  of  an  arm 
that  was  thrown  affectionately  around  my  neck.  I  then  sat 
down  on  the  transom,  still  holding  my  sister's  hand.  Grace 
looked  anxiously  at  me  for  half  a  minute  ere  she  spoke,  as 
if  to  ascertain  how  far  I  was  conscious  of  her  situation. 

"  Lucy  tells  me,  brother,'^  she  at  length  said,  "  that  you 
think  of  carrying  me  down  the  river,  as  far  as  town,  in  order 
to  get  further  advice.  I  hope  this  is  a  mistake  of  our  dear 
Lucy's,  however  ? " 

"  It  is  not,  Grace.  If  the  wind  stand  here  at  the  west- 
ward, I  hope  to  have  you  in  Lucy's  own  house  in  Wall 
street,  by  to-morrow  evening.  I  know  she  will  receive  you 
hospitably,  and  have  ventured  to  form  the  plan  v;ithout  con- 
sulting you  on  the  subject." 

"  Better  that  I  should  be  at  Clawbonny — if  anything  can 
now  do  me  good,  brother,  it  will  be  native  air,  and  pure 
country  air.     Hearken  to  my  request,  and  stop  at  the  creek. " 

"  Your  serious  request,  Grace,  will  be  a  law  to  me,  if 
made  on  due  reflection.  This  growing  feebleness,  however, 
alarms  me;  and  I  cannot  justify  it  to  myself  not  to  send  for 
advice." 

"  Remember,  Miles,  it  is  not  yet  twenty-four  hours  since 
one  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  country  saw  me.     We  have  his 


MILES    WALLlNGFORD.  8$ 

written  instructions;  and,  all  that  man  can  do  for  me,  they 
will  do  for  me.  No,  brother;  listen  to  my  entreaties,  and 
go  into  the  creek.  I  pine,  I  pine  to  be  again  at  dear  Claw- 
bonny,  where  alone  I  can  enjoy  anything  like  peace  of  body 
or  mind.  This  vessel  is  unsuited  to  me;  I  cannot  think  of 
a  future  or  pray  in  it.  Brother,  dearest  brother,  carry  me 
home,  if  you  love  me !  " 

There  was  no  resisting  such  an  appeal.  I  went  on  deck 
with  a  heavy  heart,  and  gave  the  necessary  orders  to  the 
pilot;  and,  in  about  eight-and-forty  hours  after  we  emerged 
into  the  Hudson,  we  left  that  noble  stream  again  to  shoot 
beneath  the  shaded,  leafy  banks  of  our  own  inlet.  Grace 
was  so  feeble  as  to  be  carried  to  the  chaise,  in  which  she 
was  supported  by  Lucy,  during  the  short  drive  to  the  house. 
When  I  reached  my  own  dwelling,  I  found  Mr.  Hardinge 
pacing  the  little  portico,  or  piazza,  waiting  for  my  arrival, 
with  an  uneasiness  of  manner  that  at  once  proclaimed  his 
anxiety  to  see  me.  He  had  driven  the  horse  of  the  chaise, 
and  had  imbibed  a  first  impression  of  Grace's  danger. 

"  Miles,  my  dear  boy — my  second  son,"  the  simple-hearted, 
excellent  old  man  commenced;  "Miles,  my  dear  boy,  the 
hand  of  God  has  been  laid  heavily  on  us — your  beloved  sis- 
ter, my  own  precious  Grace,  is  far  more  ill  than  I  had  any 
idea  of,  before  this  morning." 

"  She  is  in  the  hands  of  her  merciful  Creator,"  I  said, 
struggling  to  command  myself,  "who,  I  greatly  fear,  is 
about  to  call  her  from  a  world  that  is  not  good  enough  for 
one  so  innocent  and  pure,  to  take  her  to  himself.  I  have 
foreseen  this  from  the  hour  I  first  met  her,  after  my  return ; 
though  a  single  ray  of  hope  dawned  on  me,  when  Post  ad- 
vised the  change  of  scene.  So  far  from  producing  good, 
this  excursion  has  produced  evil ;  and  she  is  much  worse 
than  when  we  left  home." 

"  Such  short-sighted  mortals  are  we !  But  what  can  we 
do,  my  boy?  I  conftss  my  judgment,  my  faculties  them- 
selves, are  nearly  annihilated  by  the  suddenness  of  this 


S6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

shock.  I  had  supposed  her  illness  some  trifling  complaint 
that  youth  and  care  would  certainly  remove;  and  here  we 
stand,  as  it  might  be,  at  the  call  of  the  trumpet's  blast, 
almost  around  her  grave !  " 

"  I  am  most  anxious  to  lean  on  your  wisdom  and  expe- 
rience, my  dear  sir,  at  this  critical  moment;  if  you  will  ad- 
vise, I  shall  be  happy  to  follow  your  instructions." 

"We  must  lean  on  God,  Miles,"  answered  my  worthy 
guardian,  still  pacing  the  piazza,  the  tears  running  down 
his  cheeks  in  streams,  and  speaking  so  huskily  as  barely  to 
be  intelligible;  "yes,  we  will  have  the  prayers  of  the  con- 
gregation next  Sunday  morning;  and  most  devout  and  heart- 
felt prayers  they  will  be;  for  her  own  sainted  mother  was 
not  more  deservedly  loved!  To  be  called  away  so  young 
— to  die  in  the  first  bloom  of  youth  and  loveliness,  as  it 
were,  —but,  it  is  to  go  to  her  God!  We  must  endeavor 
to  think  of  her  gain — to  rejoice  over,  rather  than  mourn 
her  loss." 

"  I  grieve  to  perceive  that  you  regard  my  sister's  case  as 
so  entirely  hopeless,  sir." 

"Hopeless!  It  is  full  of  the  brightest  promise;  and 
when  I  come  to  look  calmly  at  it,  my  reason  tells  me  I 
ought  not  to  grieve.  Still,  Miles,  the  loss  of  Lucy,  herself, 
would  scarce  be  a  more  severe  blow  to  me.  I  have  loved 
her  from  childhood,  cared  for  her  as  for  one  of  my  own,  and 
feel  the  same  love  for  her  that  I  should  feel  for  a  second 
daughter.  Your  parents  were  dear  to  me,  and  their  children 
have  always  appeared  to  me  to  belong  to  my  own  blood. 
Had  I  not  been  your  guardian,  boy,  and  you  and  Grace  been 
comparatively  so  rich,  while  I  and  mine  were  so  poor,  it 
would  have  been  the  first  wish  of  my  heart  to  have  seen 
Rupert  and  Grace,  you  and  Lucy,  united,  which  would  have 
made  you  all  my  beloved  children  alike.  I  often  thought  of 
this,  until  I  found  it  necessary  to  repress  the  hope,  lest  I 
should  prove  unfaithful  to  my  trust.  Now  indeed,  Mrs. 
Bradfort's  bequest  might  have  smoothed  over  every  difficulty ; 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  8/ 

but  it  came  too  late!  It  was  not  to  be;  Providence  had 
ordered  otherwise." 

"  You  had  an  ardent  supporter  of  your  scheme  in  one  of 
your  children,  at  least,  sir." 

"  So  you  have  given  me  to  understand.  Miles,  and  I  regret 
that  I  was  informed  of  the  fact  so  late,  or  I  might  have  con- 
trived to  keep  off  other  young  men  while  you  were  at  sea,  or 
until  an  opportunity  offered  to  enable  you  to  secure  my 
daughter's  affections.  That  done,  neither  time  nor  distance 
could  have  displaced  you ;  the  needle  not  being  more  true 
than  Lucy,  or  the  laws  of  nature  more  certain." 

"  The  knowledge  of  these  sterling  qualities,  sir,  only 
makes  me  regret  my  having  come  too  late,  so  much  the 
more." 

"It  was  not  to  be;  at  one  time,  I  ^/^ think  Rupert  and 
Grace  had  a  preference  for  each  other;  but  I  must  have 
been  deceived.  God  had  ordered  it  otherwise,  and  wisely, 
no  doubt;  as  his  omniscience  foresaw  the  early  drooping 
of  this  lovely  flower.  I  suppose  their  having  been  educated 
together,  so  much  like  brother  and  sister,  has  been  the  rea- 
son there  was  so  much  indifference  to  each  other's  merits. 
You  have  been  an  exception  on  account  of  your  long  ab- 
sences, Miles,  and  you  must  look  to  those  absences  for  the 
consolation  and  relief  you  will  doubtless  require.  Alas! 
alas!  that  I  could  not  now  fold  Grace  to  my  heart,  as  a 
daughter  and  a  bride,  instead  of  standing  over  her  grave ! 
Nothing  but  Rupert's  diffidence  of  his  own  claims,  during 
our  days  of  poverty,  could  have  prevented  him  from  sub- 
mitting himself  to  so  much  loveliness  and  virtue.  I  acquit 
the  lad  of  insensibility ;  for  nothing  but  the  sense  of  pov- 
erty, and  the  pride  of  a  poor  gentleman,  added  perhaps  to 
the  brotherly  regard  he  has  always  felt  for  Grace,  could 
have  kept  him  from  seeking  her  hand.  Grace,  properly 
enough,  would  have  requited  his  affection." 

Such  is  a  specimen«of  the  delusion  under  which  we  live 
daily.     Here  was   my  sister  dying   of   bjighted  affections 


SS  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

under  my  own  roof;  and  the  upright,  conscientious  father  of 
the  wretch  who  had  produced  this  withering  evil,  utterly 
unconscious  of  the  wrong  that  had  been  done,  still  regard- 
ing his  son  with  the  partiality  and  indulgence  of  a  fond 
parent.  To  me,  it  seemed  incredible  at  the  time,  that  un- 
suspecting integrity  could  carry  its  simplicity  so  far;  but  I 
have  since  lived  long  enough  to  know  that  mistakes  like 
these  are  constantly  occurring  around  us;  effects  being 
hourly  attributed  to  causes  with  which  they  have  no  connec- 
tion, and  causes  being  followed  down  to  effects,  that  are  as 
imaginary  as  human  sagacity  is  faulty.  As  for  myself,  I 
can  safely  say,  that  in  scarce  a  circumstance  of  my  life  that 
has  brought  me  the  least  under  the  cognizance  of  the  public, 
have  I  ever  been  judged  justly.  In  various  instances  have 
I  been  praised  for  acts  that  were  either  totally  without  any 
merit,  or,  at  least,  the  particular  merit  imputed  to  them; 
while  I  have  been  even  persecuted  for  deeds  that  deserved 
praise.  An  instance  or  two  of  the  latter  of  these  cases  of 
the  false  judgment  of  the  world  will  be  laid  before  the 
reader  as  I  proceed. 

Mr.  Hardinge  continued  for  some  time  to  expatiate  on  the 
loveliness  of  Grace's  character,  and  to  betray  the  weight  of 
the  blow  he  had  received  in  gaining  this  sudden  knowledge 
of  her  danger.  He  seemed  to  pass  all  at  once  from  a  state 
of  inconsiderate  security  to  one  of  total  hopelessness,  and 
found  the  shock  so  much  harder  to  endure.  At  length  he 
sent  for  Lucy,  with  whom  he  continued  closeted  for  near  an 
hour.  I  ascertained,  afterward,  that  he  questioned  the  dear 
girl  closely  on  the  subject  of  my  sister's  malady;  even  de- 
siring to  know  if  her  affections  were  any  way  connected  with 
this  extraordinary  sinking  of  the  vital  powers,  but  not  in  the 
slightest  degree  inclining  to  the  distrust  of  Rupert's  being 
in  any  manner  implicated  in  the  affair.  Lucy,  truthful  and 
frank  as  she  was,  felt  the  uselessness,  nay,  the  danger,  of 
enlightening  her  father,  and  managed  to  evade  all  his  more 
delicate  inquiries  without  involving  herself  in  falsehoods. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  89 

She  well  knew  if  he  were  apprised  of  the  real  state  of  the 
case,  that  Rupert  would  have  been  sent  for,  and  every  repa- 
ration it  was  in  his  power  to  make  would  have  been  insisted 
on  as  an  act  of  justice;  a  hopeless  and  distressing  attempt 
to  restore  the  confidence  of  unbounded  love,  and  the  esteem 
which,  once  lost,  is  gone  forever.  Perhaps  the  keenest  of 
all  Grace's  sufferings  proceeded  from  the  consciousness  of 
the  total  want  of  merit  in  the  man  she  had  so  effectually  en- 
shrined in  her  heart,  that  he  could  only  be  ejected  by  break- 
ing in  pieces  and  utterly  destroying  the  tenement  that  had 
so  long  contained  him.  With  ordinary  natures,  this  change 
of  opinion  might  have  sufficed  for  the  purposes  of  an  effect- 
ual cure,  but  my  poor  sister  was  differently  constituted. 
She  had  ever  been  different  from  most  of  her  sex  in  inten- 
sity of  feeling,  and  had  come  near  dying,  while  still  a  child, 
on  the  occasion  of  the  direful  catastrophe  of  my  father's 
loss;  and  the  decease  of  even  our  mother,  though  long  ex- 
pected, had  come  near  to  extinguish  the  flame  of  life  in  the 
daughter.  As  I  have  already  said  more  than  once,  a  being 
so  sensitive  and  so  pure,  ever  seemed  better  fitted  for  the 
regions  of  bliss,  than  for  the  collisions  and  sorrows  of  the 
world. 

Now  we  were  at  Clawbonny  again,  I  scarce  knew  how  to 
employ  myself.  Grace  I  could  not  see;  Lucy,  who  took  the 
entire  management  of  the  invalid,  requiring  for  her  rest  and 
quiet.  In  this  she  did  but  follow  the  directions  of  reason, 
as  well  as  those  left  by  Post,  and  I  was  fain  to  yield,  know- 
ing that  my  sister  could  not  possibly  have  a  more  judicious 
or  a  more  tender  nurse. 

The  different  persons  belonging  to  the  mill  and  the  farm 
came  to  me  for  direction^,  which  I  was  compelled  to  give 
with  thoughts  engrossed  with  the  state  of  my  sister.  More 
than  once  I  endeavored  to  arouse  myself,  and  for  a  few 
minutes  seemed  to  enter,  if  I  did  not  truly  enter,  with  inter- 
est into  the  affairs  presented  to  my  consideration ;  but  these 
Uttle  rallies  were  merely  so  many  attempts  at  self-delusion, 


90  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

and  I  finally  referred  everything  to  the  respective  persons 
entrusted  with  the  different  branches  of  the  duty,  bidding 
them  act  as  they  had  been  accustomed  to  do  in  my  absence. 

"  Why,  yes,  Masser  Mile,"  answered  the  old  negro  who 
was  the  head  man  in  the  field,  "  dis  berry  well,  if  he  can  do 
it.  Remember  I  always  hab  Masser  Hardinge  to  talk  tome 
about  'e  crop,  and  sich  t'ing,  and  dat  a  won'erful  help  to  a 
poor  nigger  when  he  in  a  nonplush." 

"  Surely,  Hiram,  you  are  a  better  husbandman  than  Mr. 
Hardinge  and  myself  put  together,  and  cannot  want  the  ad- 
vice of  either  to  tell  you  how  to  raise  corn,  or  to  get  in 
hay!" 

"  Dat  berry  true,  sah — so  true,  I  won't  deny  him.  But 
you  know  how  it  be,  Masser  Mile ;  a  nigger  do  lub  to  talk, 
and  it  help  along  work  won'erfully,  to  get  a  good  dispute, 
afore  he  begin." 

As  respects  the  blacks,  this  was  strictly  true.  Though  as 
respectful  as  slavery  and  habit  could  make  them,  they  were 
so  opinionated  and  dogmatical,  each  in  his  or  her  sphere, 
that  nothing  short  of  a  downright  assertion  of  authority 
could  produce  submission  to  any  notions  but  their  own. 
They  loved  to  argue  the  different  points  connected  with 
their  several  duties,  but  they  did  not  like  to  be  convinced. 
Mr.  Hardinge  would  discuss  with  them,  from  a  sense  of 
duty,  and  he  would  invariably  yield,  unless  in  cases  that 
involved  moral  principles.  On  all  such  points,  and  they 
were  not  of  unfrequent  occurrence  in  a  family  of  so  many 
blacks,  he  was  as  inflexible  as  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and 
Persians;  but,  as  respected  the  wheat,  the  potatoes,  the 
orchards,  the  mill,  or  the  sloop,  he  usually  submitted  to  the 
experience  of  those  more  familiar  with  the  business,  after 
having  discussed  the  matters  in  council.  This  rendered 
him  exceedingly  popular  at  Clawbonny,  the  persuaded 
usually  having  the  same  sort  of  success  in  the  world  as  a 
good  listener.  As  for  the  rector  himself,  after  so  many  long 
discussions,  he  began  to  think  he  had  actually  influenced  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  9 1 

different  steps  adopted,  the  cause  of  one  of  the  illusions  I 
have  already  portrayed. 

Old  Hiram  did  not  quit  me  when  he  came  for  instructions, 
alias  a  "  dispute,"  without  a  word  of  inquiry  touching  Grace. 
I  could  see  that  the  alarm  had  passed  among  the  slaves,  and 
it  was  quite  touching  to  note  the  effect  it  produced  on  their 
simple  minds.  It  would  have  been  sufficient  for  them  to 
love  her,  that  Grace  was  their  young  mistress;  but  such  a 
mistress  as  she  had  ever  been,  and  one  so  winning,  in  man- 
ner and  person,  they  might  be  said  almost  to  worship  her. 

"I  berry  sorry  to  hear  Miss  Grace  be  onwell,  sah,"  said 
old  Hiram,  looking  at  me  sorrowfully.  "  It  go  hard  wid  us 
all,  if  anyt'ing  happen  dere  !  I  always  s'pose,  Masser  Mile, 
dat  Miss  Grace  and  Masser  Rupert  come  togeder,  some  time; 
as  we  all  expects  you  and  Miss  Lucy  will.  Dem  are  happy 
days,  sah,  at  Clawbonny,  for  den  we  all  know  our  new  masser 
and  new  missus  from  de  cradle.  No,  no — we  can  nebber 
spare  Miss  Grace,  sah;  even  I  should  miss  her  in  'e  field!  " 

The  very  blacks  had  observed  the  state  of  things  which 
had  deluded  my  poor  sister;  and  the  slave  had  penetrated 
his  master's  secret.  I  turned  away  abruptly  from  the  negro, 
lest  he  should  also  detect  the  evidence  of  the  weakness  ex- 
torted by  his  speech,  from  the  eyes  of  manhood. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


Like  the  lily 
That  once  was  mistress  of  the  field,  and  flourished, 
I'll  hang  my  head  and  perish 

Queen  Catherine. 

I  SAW  little  of  Lucy  that  night.  She  met  us  at  evening  prayers, 
and  tears  were  in  her  eyes  as  she  arose  from  her  knees. 
Without  speaking,  she  kissed  her  father  for  good  night,  more 
affectionately  than  ever,  I  thought,  and  then  turned  to  me. 
Her  hand  was  extend^  (we  had  seldom  met  or  parted  for 
eighteen  years  without  observing  this  little  act  of  kindness), 


92  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

but  she  did  not — nay,  could  not,  speak.  I  pressed  the  little 
hand  fervently  in  my  own,  and  relinquished  it  again,  in  the 
same  eloquent  silence.  She  was  seen  no  more  by  us  until 
next  day. 

The  breakfast  had  ever  been  a  happy  meal  at  Clawbonny. 
My  father,  though  merely  a  shipmaster,  was  one  of  the  better 
class;  and  he  had  imbibed  many  notions,  in  the  course  of 
his  different  voyages,  that  placed  him  much  in  advance  of 
the  ordinary  habits  of  his  day  and  country.  Then  an  Amer- 
ican shipmaster  is  usually  superior  to  those  of  other  coun- 
tries. This  arises  from  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  our  in- 
stitutions, as  well  as  from  the  circumstance  that  the  navy  is 
so  small.  Among  other  improvements,  my  father  had  broken 
in  upon  the  venerable  American  custom  of  swallowing  a 
meal  as  soon  as  out  of  bed.  The  breakfast  at  Clawbonny, 
from  my  earliest  infancy,  or  as  long  as  I  can  remember,  had 
been  eaten  regularly  at  nine  o'clock,  a  happy  medium  be- 
tween the  laziness  of  dissipation  and  the  hurry  of  ill-formed 
habits.  At  that  hour  the  whole  family  used  to  meet,  still 
fresh  from  a  night's  repose,  and  yet  enlivened  and  gay  by  an 
hour  or  two  of  exercise  in  the  open  air,  instead  of  coming  to 
the  family  board  half  asleep,  with  a  sort  of  drowsy  sulkiness, 
as  if  the  meal  were  a  duty,  and  not  a  pleasure.  We  ate  as 
leisurely  as  keen  appetites  would  permit;  laughed,  chatted, 
related  the  events  of  the  morning,  conversed  of  our  plans 
for  the  day,  and  indulged  our  several  tastes  and  humors,  like 
people  who  had  been  up  and  stirring,  and  not  like  so  many 
drowsy  drones  swallowing  our  food  for  form's  sake.  The 
American  breakfast  has  been  celebrated  by  several  modern 
writers,  and  it  deserves  to  be,  though  certainly  not  to  be 
compared  to  that  of  France.  Still,  it  might  be  far  better 
than  it  is,  did  our  people  understand  the  mood  in  which  it 
ought  to  be  enjoyed. 

While  on  this  subject,  the  reader  will  excuse  an  old  man's 
prolixity,  if  I  say  a  word  on  the  state  of  the  science  of  the 
table  in  general,  as  it  is  put  in  practice  in  this  great  repub- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  93 

lie.  A  writer  of  this  country,  one  Mr.  Cooper,  has  some- 
where said  that  the  Americans  are  the  grossest  feeders  in 
the  civilized  world,  and  warns  his  countrymen  to  remember 
that  a  national  character  may  be  formed  in  the  kitchen. 
This  remark  is  commented  on  by  Captain  Marryatt,  who 
calls  it  both  unjust  and  ill-natured.  As  for  the  ill-nature  I 
shall  say  nothing,  unless  it  be  to  remark  that  I  do  not  well 
see  how  that  which  is  undeniably  true  ought  to  be  thought 
so  very  ill-natured.  That  it  is  true,  every  American  who 
has  seen  much  of  other  lands  must  know.  Captain  Mar- 
ryatt's  allegation  that  the  tables  are  good  in  the  large  towns, 
has  nothing  to  do  with  the  merits  of  this  question.  The 
larger  American  towns  are  among  the  best  eating  and  drink- 
ing portions  of  the  world.  But  what  are  they  as  compared 
to  the  whole  country?  What  are  the  public  tables,  or  the 
tables  of  the  refined,  as  compared  to  the  tables  of  the  mass, 
even  in  these  very  towns?  All  things  are  to  be  judged  of 
by  the  rules,  and  not  by  the  exceptions.  Because  a  small 
portion  of  the  American  population  understand  what  good 
cookery  is,  it  by  no  means  follows  that  all  do.  Who  would 
think  of  saying  that  the  people  of  England  live  on  white 
bait  and  venison,  because  the  nobility  and  gentry  (the 
aldermen  inclusive)  can  enjoy  both,  in  the  seasons,  ad  libi- 
tum ?  I  suspect  this  Mr.  Cooper  knows  quite  as  well  what 
he  is  about,  when  writing  of  America,  as  any  European.  If 
pork  fried  in  grease,  and  grease  pervading  half  the  other 
dishes,  vegetables  cooked  without  any  art,  and  meats  done 
to  rags,  make  a  good  table,  then  is  this  Mr.  Cooper  wrong, 
and  Captain  Marryatt  right,  and  vice  versd.  As  yet,  while 
nature  has  done  so  much  in  America,  art  has  done  but  little. 
Much  compared  with  numbers  and  time,  certainly,  but  little 
as  compared  with  what  numbers  and  time  have  done  else- 
where. Nevertheless,  I  would  make  an  exception  in  favor 
of  America,  as  respects  the  table  of  one  country,  though  not 
so  much  in  connection  with  the  coarseness  of  the  feeding  as 
in  the  poverty  of  the  food.     I  consider  the  higher  parts  of 


94  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

Germany  to  be  the  portions  of  the  Christian  world  where 
eating  and  drinking  are  in  the  most  primitive  condition ; 
and  that  part  of  this  great  republic,  which  Mr.  Alison  would 
probably  call  the  state  of  New  England,  to  come  next.  In 
abundance  and  excellence  of  food  in  the  native  form,  Amer- 
ica is  particularly  favored;  Baltimore  being  at  the  very 
nucleus  of  all  that  is  exquisite  in  the  great  business  of  mas- 
tication. Nevertheless,  the  substitution  of  cooks  from  the 
interior  of  New  England,  for  the  present  glistening  tenants 
of  her  kitchens,  would  turn  even  that  paradise  of  the  epicure 
into  a  sort  of  oleaginous  waste.     Enough  of  cookery. 

Lucy  did  not  appear  at  prayers  next  morning !  I  felt  her 
absence  as  one  feels  the  certainty  of  some  dreadful  evil. 
Breakfast  was  announced;  still  Lucy  did  not  appear.  The 
table  was  smoking  and  hissing;  and  Romeo  Clawbonny, 
who  acted  as  the  every-day  house-servant,  or  footman,  had 
several  times  intimated  that  it  might  be  well  to  commence 
operations,  as  a  cold  breakfast  was  very  cold  comfort. 

"  Miles,  my  dear  boy,"  observed  Mr.  Hardinge,  after 
opening  the  door  to  look  for  the  absentee  half  a  dozen 
times,  "  we  will  wait  no  longer.  My  daughter,  no  doubt,  in- 
tends to  breakfast  with  Grace,  to  keep  the  poor,  dear  girl 
company;  for  it  is  dull  work  to  breakfast  by  one's  self. 
You  and  I  miss  Lucy  sadly,  at  this  very  moment,  though  we 
have  each  other's  company  to  console  us." 

We  had  just  taken  our  seats,  when  the  door  slowly  opened, 
and  Lucy  entered  the  room. 

"  Good  morning,  dearest  father,"  said  the  sweet  girl,  pass- 
ing an  arm  around  Mr.  Hardinge's  neck,  with  more  than  her 
usual  tenderness  of  manner,  and  imprinting  a  long  kiss  on 
his  bald  head.  "Good  morning.  Miles,"  stretching  towards 
me  a  hand,  but  averting  her  face,  as  if  afraid  it  might  re- 
veal too  much  when  exposed  fully  to  my  anxious  and  inquir- 
ing gaze.  "  Grace  passed  a  pretty  quiet  night,  and  is,  I 
think,  a  little  less  disturbed  this  morning  than  she  was 
yesterday." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  95 

Neither  of  us  answered  or  questioned  the  dear  nurse. 
What  a  breakfast  was  that,  compared  to  so  many  hundreds 
in  which  I  had  shared  at  that  very  table,  and  in  that  same 
room!  Three  of  the  accustomed  faces  were  there,  it  is  true; 
all  the  appliances  were  familiar,  some  dating  as  far  back  as 
the  time  of  the  first  Miles ;  Romeo,  now  a  gray-headed  and 
wrinkled  negro,  was  in  his  usual  place;  but  Chloe,  who  was 
accustomed  to  pass  often  between  her  young  mistress  and 
a  certain  closet,  at  that  meal,  which  never  seemed  to  have  all 
we  wanted  arranged  on  the  table  at  first,  was  absent,  as  was 
that  precious  "  young  mistress  "  herself.  "  Gracious  Provi- 
dence!" I  mentally  ejaculated,  "is  it  thy  will  it  should 
ever  be  thus?  Am  I  never  again  to  see  those  dove-like  eyes 
turned  on  me  in  sisterly  affection  from  the  head  of  my  table, 
as  I  have  so  often  seen  them,  on  hundreds  and  hundreds  of 
occasions?"  Lucy's  spirits  had  sometimes  caused  her  to 
laugh  merrily;  and  her  musical  voice  once  used  to  mingle 
with  Rupert's  and  my  own  morfe  manly  and  deeper  notes,  in 
something  like  audible  mirth;  not  that  Lucy  was  ever  bois- 
terous or  loud;  but,  in  early  girlhood,  she  had  been  gay  and 
animated,  to  a  degree  that  often  blended  with  the  noisier 
clamor  of  us  boys.  With  Grace,  this  had  never  happened. 
She  seldom  spoke,  except  in  moments  when  the  rest  were 
still;  and  her  laugh  was  rarely  audible,  though  so  often 
heartfelt  and  joyous.  It  may  seem  strange  to  those  who 
have  never  suffered  the  pang  of  feeling  that  such  a  custom- 
ary circle  was  broken  up  forever ;  but,  that  morning,  the  first 
in  which  I  keenly  felt  that  my  sister  was  lost  to  me,  I  act- 
ually missed  her  graceful,  eloquent  silence! 

"Miles,"  said  Lucy,  as  she  rose  from  the  table,  tears 
trembling  on  her  eyelids  as  she  spoke,  "half  an  hour  hence 
come  to  the  family  room.  Grace  wishes  to  see  you  there 
this  morning,  and  I  have  not  been  able  to  deny  her  request. 
She  is  weak,  but  thinks  the  visit  will  do  her  good.  Do  not 
fail  to  be  punctual,  as^  waiting  might  distress  her.  Good 
morning,  dearest  papa ;  when  I  want  you^  I  will  send  for  you." 


96  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Lucy  left  us  with  these  ominous  notices,  and  I  felt  the 
necessity  of  going  on  the  lawn  for  air.  I  walked  my  half 
hour  out,  and  returned  to  the  house  in  time  to  be  punctual 
to  the  appointment.  Chloe  met  me  at  the  door,  and  led  the 
way  in  silence  towards  the  family  room.  Her  hand  was  no 
sooner  laid  on  the  latch  than  Lucy  appeared,  beckoning  me 
to  enter.  I  found  Grace  reclining  on  that  small  settee,  or 
causeuse^  on  which  we  had  held  our  first  interview,  looking 
pallid  and  uneasy,  but  still  looking  lovely  and  as  ethereal 
as  ever.  She  held  out  a  hand  affectionately,  and  then  I  saw 
her  glance  towards  Lucy,  as  if  asking  to  be  left  with  me 
alone.  As  for  myself,  I  could  not  speak.  Taking  my  old 
place,  I  drew  my  sister's  head  on  my  bosom,  and  sat  hold- 
ing it  in  silence  for  many  painful  minutes.  In  that  position 
I  could  conceal  the  tears  which  forced  themselves  from  my 
eyes,  it  exceeding  all  my  powers  to  repress  these  evidences 
of  human  grief.  As  I  took  my  place,  the  figure  of  Lucy 
disappeared,  and  the  door  closed. 

I  never  knew  how  long  a  time  Grace  and  I  continued  in 
that  tender  attitude.  I  was  not  in  a  state  of  mind  to  note 
such  a  fact,  and  have  since  striven  hard  to  forget  most  that 
occurred  in  that  solemn  interview.  After  a  lapse  of  so 
many  years,  however,  I  find  memory  painfully  accurate  on 
all  the  leading  circumstances,  though  it  was  impossible  to 
recall  a  point  of  which  I  took  no  heed  at  the  moment.  Such 
things  only  as  made  an  impression  is  it  in  my  power  to 
relate. 

When  Grace  gently,  and  I  might  add  faintly,  raised 
herself  from  my  bosom,  she  turned  on  me  eyes  that  were 
filled  with  a  kind  anxiety  on  my  account,  rather  than  her 
own. 

"Brother,"  she  said,  earnestly,  "the  will  of  God  must  be 
submitted  to;  I  am  very,  very  ill — broken  in  pieces— I  grow 
weaker  every  hour.  It  is  not  right  to  conceal  such  a  truth 
from  ourselves,  or  from  each  other." 

I  made  no  reply,  although  she  evidently  paused  to  give 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  97 

me  an  opportunity  to  speak.  I  could  not  have  uttered  a 
syllable  to  have  saved  my  life.  The  pause  was  impressive, 
rather  than  long. 

"  I  have  sent  for  you,  dearest  Miles,"  my  sister  continued, 
"  not  that  I  think  it  probable  I  shall  be  called  away  soon  or 
suddenly.  God  will  spare  me  for  a  little  while,  I  humbly 
trust,  in  order  to  temper  the  blow  to  those  I  love ;  but  he  is 
about  to  call  me  to  him,  and  we  must  all  be  prepared  for  it; 
you,  and  dear,  dear  Lucy,  and  my  beloved  guardian,  as  well 
as  myself.  I  have  not  sent  for  you  even  to  tell  you  this; 
for  Lucy  gives  me  reason  to  believe  you  expect  the  sepa- 
ration ;  but  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  on  a  subject  that  is  very 
near  my  heart,  while  I  have  strength  and  fortitude  to  speak 
on  it  at  all.  Promise  me,  dearest,  to  be  calm,  and  to  listen 
patiently." 

"  Your  slightest  wish  will  be  a  law  to  me,  beloved,  most 
precious  sister;  I  shall  listen  as  if  we  were  in  our  days  of 
childish  confidence  and  happiness — though  I  fear  those  days 
are  never  to  return !  " 

"  Feel  not  thus,  Miles,  my  noble-hearted,  manly  brother. 
Heaven  will  not  desert  you,  unless  you  desert  your  God;  it 
does  not  desert  me,  but  an'gels  beckon  me  to  its  bliss !  Were 
it  not  for  you  and  Lucy,  and  my  dear,  dear  guardian,  the 
hour  of  my  departure  would  be  a  moment  of  pure  felicity. 
But  we  will  not  talk  of  this  now.  You  must  prepare  your- 
self, Miles,  to  hear  me  patiently,  and  to  be  indulgent  to  my 
last  wishes,  even  should  they  seem  unreasonable  to  your 
mind  at  first." 

"  I  have  told  you,  Grace,  that  a  request  of  yours  will  be 
a  law  to  me;  have  no  hesitation,  therefore  in  letting  me 
know  any,  or  all  your  wishes." 

"Let  us,  then,  speak  of  worldly  things;  for  the  last  time, 
I  trust,  my  brother.  Sincerely  do  I  hope  that  this  will  be 
the  last  occasion  on  which  I  shall  ever  be  called  to  allude 
to  them.  This  duty  discharged,  all  that  will  remain  to  me 
on  earth  will  be  the  love  I  bear  my  friends.  This  Heaven 
7 


98  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

itself  will  excuse,  as  I  shall  strive  not  to  let  it  lessen  that  I 
bear  my  God." 

Grace  paused,  and  I  sat  wondering  what  was  to  follow, 
though  touched  to  the  heart  by  her  beautiful  resignation  to 
a  fate  that  to  most  so  young  would  seem  hard  to  be  borne. 

"  Miles,  my  brother,"  she  continued,  looking  at  me  anx- 
iously, "  we  have  not  spoken  much  of  your  success  in  your 
last  voyage,  though  I  have  understood  that  you  have  mate- 
rially increased  your  means." 

"It  has  quite  equalled  my  expectations;  and,  rich  in  my 
ship  and  ready  money,  I  am  content,  to  say  nothing  of  Claw- 
bonny.  Do  what  you  will  with  your  own,  therefore,  my  sis- 
ter; not  a  wish  of  mine  shall  ever  grudge  a  dollar;  I  would 
rather  not  be  enriched  by  your  loss.  Make  your  bequests 
freely,  and  I  shall  look  on  each  and  all  of  them  as  so  many 
memorials  of  your  affectionate  heart  and  many  virtues." 

Grace's  cheeks  flushed,  and  I  could  see  that  she  was  ex- 
tremely gratified,  though  still  tremblingly  anxious. 

"You  doubtless  remember  that  by  our  father's  will,  Miles, 
my  property  becomes  yours,  if  I  die  without  children  before 
I  reach  the  age  of  twenty-one;  while  yours  would  have  been 
mine  under  the  same  circumstances.  As  I  am  barely 
twenty,  it  is  out  of  my  power  to  make  a  legal  will." 

"  It  is  in  your  power  to  make  one  that  shall  be  equally 
binding,  Grace.  I  will  go  this  instant  for  pen,  ink,  and 
paper;  and,  as  you  dictate,  will  I  write  a  will  that  shall  be 
even  more  binding  than  one  that  might  come  within  the 
rules  of  the  law." 

"  Nay,  brother,  that  is  unnecessary ;  all  I  wish  I  have 
already  said  in  a  letter  addressed  to  yourself;  and  which, 
should  you  now  approve  of  it,  will  be  found  among  my 
papers  as  a  memorandum.  But  there  should  be  no  misap- 
prehension between  you  and  me,  dearest  Miles.  I  do  not 
wish  you  even  fully  to  consent  to  my  wishes  now;  take 
time  to  consider,  and  let  your  judgment  have  as  much  in- 
fluence on  your  decision  as  your  own  excellent  heart." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  99 

**  I  am  as  ready  to  decide  at  this  moment  as  I  shall  be  a  year 
hence.  It  is  enough  for  me  that  you  wish  the  thing  done,  to 
have  it  done,  sister." 

"  Bless  you,  bless  you,  brother,"  said  Grace,  affectionately 
pressing  my  hand  to  her  heart ;  ''  not  so  much  that  you  con- 
sent to  do  as  I  wish,  as  for  the  spirit  and  manner  in  which 
you  comply.  Still,  as  I  ask  no  trifle,  it  is  proper  that  I  re- 
lease you  from  all  pledges  here  given,  and  allow  you  time 
for  reflection.  Then,  it  is  also  proper  you  should  know  the 
full  extent  of  what  you  promise." 

"  It  is  enough  for  me  that  it  will  be  in  my  power  to  per- 
form what  you  desire;  further  than  that  I  make  no  stipula- 
tion." 

I  could  see  that  Grace  was  profoundly  struck  with  this 
proof  of  my  attachment,  but  her  own  sense  of  right  was  too 
just  and  active  to  suffer  the  matter  to  rest  there. 

"  I  must  explain  further,"  she  added.  "  Mr.  Hardinge  has 
been  a  most  faithful  steward,  and  by  means  of  economy  dur- 
ing my  long  minority,  the  little  cost  that  has  attended  my 
manner  of  living,  and  some  fortunate  investments  that  have 
been  made  of  interest-money,  I  find  myself  a  good  deal 
richer  than  I  had  supposed.  In  relinquishing  my  property, 
Miles,  you  will  relinquish  rather  more  than  two-and-twenty 
thousand  dollars,  or  quite  twelve  hundred  a  year.  There 
ought  to  be  no  misapprehensions  on  this  subject  between  us, 
least  of  all  at  such  a  moment." 

"  I  wish  it  were  more,  my  sister,  since  it  gives  you  pleas- 
ure to  bestow  it.  If  it  will  render  you  any  happier  to  per- 
fect any  of  your  plans,  take  ten  thousand  of  my  own,  and 
add  to  the  sum  which  is  now  yours.  I  would  increase, 
rather  than  lessen  your  means  of  doing  good." 

"  Miles,  Miles,"  said  Grace,  dreadfully  agitated,  "  talk  not 
thus — it  almost  shakes  my  purpose!  But  no,  listen  now  to 
my  wishes,  for  I  feel  this  will  be  the  last  time  I  shall  ever 
dare  to  speak  on  the  subject*  In  the  first  place,  I  wish  you 
to  purchase  some  appropriate  ornament,  of  the  value  of  five 


lOO  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

hundred  dollars,  and  present  it  to  Lucy  as  a  memorial  of 
her  friend.  Give  also  one  thousand  dollars  in  money  to 
Mr.  Hardinge,  to  be  distributed  in  charity.  A  letter  to  him 
on  the  subject,  and  one  to  Lucy,  will  also  be  found  among 
my  papers.  There  will  still  remain  enough  to  make  suit- 
able presents  to  the  slaves,  and  leave  the  sum  of  twenty 
thousand  dollars  entire  and  untouched." 

"And  what  shall  I  do  with  these  twenty  thousand  dollars, 
sister.^  "  I  asked,  Grace  hesitating  to  proceed. 

"That  sum,  dearest  Miles,  I  wish  to  go  to  Rupert.  You 
know  that  he  is  totally  without  fortune,  with  the  habits  of 
a  man  of  estate.  The  little  I  can  leave  him  will  not  make 
him  rich,  but  it  may  be  the  means  of  making  him  happy  and 
respectable.  I  trust  Lucy  will  add  to  it  when  she  comes  of 
age,  and  the  future  will  be  happier  for  them  all  than  the 
past." 

My  sister  spoke  quick,  and  was  compelled  to  pause  for 
breath.  As  for  myself,  the  reader  can  better  imagine  than 
I  can  describe  my  sensations,  which  were  of  a  character  al- 
most to  overwhelm  me.  The  circumstance  that  I  felt  pre- 
cluded from  making  any  serious  objections,  added  to  the 
intensity  of  my  suffering,  left  me  in  a  state  of  grief,  regret, 
indignation,  wonder,  pity,  and  tenderness,  that  it  is  wholly 
out  of  my  power  to  delineate.  Here,  then,  was  the  tender- 
ness of  the  woman  enduring  to  the  last,  caring  for  the  heart- 
less wretch  who  had  destroyed  the  very  springs  of  life  in 
her  physical  being,  while  it  crushed  the  moral  like  a  worm 
beneath  the  foot,  yet  bequeathing  with  her  dying  breath,  as 
it  might  be,  all  the  worldly  goods  in  her  possession,  to  ad- 
minister to  his  selfishness  and  vanity! 

"  I  know  you  must  think  this  strange,  brother,''  resumed 
Grace,  who  doubtless  saw  how  utterly  unable  I  was  to  re- 
ply; "but  I  shall  not  die  at  peace  with  myself  without  it. 
Unless  he  possesses  some  marked  assurance  of  my  forgive- 
ness, my  death  will  render  Rupert  miserable;  with  such  a 
marked  assurance,  he  will  be  confident  of  possessing  my 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  TO  I 

pardon  and  my  prayers.  Then,  both  he  and  Emily  are  pen- 
niless, I  fear,  and  their  lives  may  be  rendered  blanks  for 
the  want  of  the  little  money  it  is  in  my  power  to  bestow. 
At  the  proper  time,  Lucy,  I  feel  confident,  will  add  her 
part,  and  you,  who  remain  behind  me,  can  all  look  on  my 
grave,  and  bless  its  humble  tenant!  " 

"  Angel !  "  I  murmured — "  this  is  too  much !  Can  you 
suppose  Rupert  will  accept  this  money?  " 

111  as  I  thought  of  Rupert  Hardinge,  I  could  not  bring 
my  mind  to  believe  he  was  so  base  as  to  receive  money  com- 
ing from  such  a  source,  and  with  such  a  motive.  Grace, 
however,  viewed  the  matter  differently ;  not  that  she  attached 
anything  discreditable  to  Rupert's  compliance,  for  her  own 
womanly  tenderness,  long  and  deeply  rooted  attachment, 
made  it  appear  to  her  eyes  more  as  an  act  of  compliance 
with  her  own  last  behest,  than  as  the  act  of  degrading  mean- 
ness it  would  unquestionably  appear  to  be,  to  all  the  rest  of 
the  world. 

"  How  can  he  refuse  this  to  me,  coming  to  him,  as  the 
request  will,  from  my  grave?"  rejoined  the  lovely  enthu- 
siast. "  He  will  owe  it  to  me;  he  will  owe  it  to  our  former 
affection — for  he  once  loved  me,  Miles;  nay,  he  loved  me 
even  more  than  you  ever  did,  or  could,  dearest — much  as  I 
know  you  love  me." 

"  By  Heavens,  Grace,''  I  exclaimed,  unable  to  control  my- 
self any  longer,  "  that  is  a  fearful  mistake.  Rupert  Har- 
dinge is  incapable  of  loving  anything  but  himself;  he  has 
never  been  worthy  of  occupying  the  most  idle  moment  of  a 
heart  true  and  faithful  as  yours." 

These  words  escaped  me  under  an  impulse  I  found  en- 
tirely impossible  to  control.  Scarcely  were  they  uttered,  ere 
I  deeply  regretted  the  indiscretion.  Grace  looked  at  me 
imploringly,  turned  as  pale  as  death,  and  trembled  all  over, 
as  if  on  the  verge  of  dissolution.  I  took  her  in  my  arms,  I 
implored  her  pardon,  I  promised  to  command  myself  in 
future,  and  I  repeated  the  most  solemn  assurances  of  com- 


I02  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

plying  with  her  wishes  to  the  very  letter.  I  am  not  certain 
I  could  have  found  it  in  my  heart  not  to  have  recalled  my 
promise,  but  for  the  advantage  my  sister  obtained  over  me, 
by  means  of  this  act  of  weakness.  There  was  something 
so  exceedingly  revolting  to  me  in  the  whole  affair,  that  even 
Grace's  holy  weakness  failed  to  sanctify  the  act  in  my  eyes; 
at  least  so  far  as  Rupert  was  concerned.  I  owe  it  to  my- 
self to  add  that  not  a  selfish  thought  mingled  with  my  re- 
luctance, which  proceeded  purely  from  the  distaste  I  felt  to 
seeing  Lucy's  brother,  and  a  man  for  whom  I  had  once 
entertained  a  boyish  regard,  making  himself  so  thoroughly 
an  object  of  contempt.  As  I  entertained  serious  doubts  of 
even  Rupert's  sinking  so  low,  I  felt  the  necessity  of  speak- 
ing to  my  sister  on  the  subject  of  such  a  contingency. 

"  One  might  hesitate  about  accepting  your  money,  after 
all,  dearest  sister,"  I  said;  "and  it  is  proper  you  give  me 
directions  what  I  am  to  do,  in  the  event  of  Rupert's  declin- 
ing the  gift." 

"  I  think  that  is  little  probable.  Miles,"  answered  Grace, 
who  lived  and  died  under  a  species  of  hallucination  on  the 
subject  of  her  early  lover's  real  character.  "  Rupert  may  not 
have  been  able  to  command  his  affections,  but  he  cannot  cease 
to  feel  a  sincere  friendship  for  me ;  to  remember  our  ancient 
confidence  and  intimacy.  He  will  receive  the  bequest,  as 
you  would  take  one  from  dear  Xucy,"  added  my  sister,  a 
painful-looking  smile  illuminating  that  angelic  expression 
of  countenance  to  which  I  have  so  often  alluded ;  "  or,  as 
that  of  a  sister.  You  would  not  refuse  such  a  thing  to 
Lucy's  dying  request,  and  why  should  Rupert  to  mine?  " 

Poor  Grace !  Little  did  she  see  the  immense  difference 
there  was  in  my  relation  to  Lucy  and  that  which  Rupert 
bore  to  her.  I  could  not  explain  this  difference,  however, 
but  merely  assented  to  her  wishes,  renewing,  for  the  fourth 
or  fifth  time,  my  pledges  of  performing  with  fidelity  all  she 
asked  at  my  hands.  Grace  then  put  into  my  hands  an  un- 
sealed letter  addressed  to  Rupert,  which  she  desired  me  to 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  IO3 

read  when  alone,  and  which  I  was  to  have  delivered  with  the 
legacy  or  donation  of  money. 

"  Let  me  rest  once  more  on  your  bosom,  Miles,"  said 
Grace,  reclining  her  head  in  my  arms,  quite  exhausted  under 
the  reaction  of  the  excitement  she  had  felt  while  urging  her 
request.  "  I  feel  happier,  at  this  moment,  than  I  have  been 
for  a  long  time,  yet,  my  increasing  weakness  admonishes  me 
it  cannot  last  long.  Miles,  darling,  you  must  remember  all 
our  sainted  mother  taught  you  in  childhood,  and  you  will 
not  mourn  over  my  loss.  Could  I  leave  you  united  to  one 
who  understood  and  appreciated  your  worth,  I  should  die 
contented.  But  you  will  be  left  alone,  poor  Miles;  for  a 
time,  at  least,  you  will  mourn  for  me." 

"  Forever — long  as  life  lasts,  beloved  Grace,"  I  murmured, 
almost  in  her  ear. 

Exhaustion  kept  my  sister  quiet  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
though  I  felt  an  occasional  pressure  of  her  hands,  both  of 
which  held  one  of  mine;  and  I  could  hear  words  asking 
blessings  and  consolation  for  me,  whispered,  from  time  to 
time,  in  heartfelt  petitions  to  Heaven.  As  she  gained 
strength  by  repose,  my  sister  felt  the  desire  to  continue  the 
discourse  revive.  I  begged  her  not  to  incur  the  risk  of 
further  fatigue,  but  she  answered,  smiling  affectionately  in 
my  face : 

"Rest!  There  will  be  no  permanent  rest  for  me,  until 
laid  by  the  side  of  my  parents.  Miles,  do  your  thoughts 
ever  recur  to  that  picture  of  the  future  that  is  so  precious  to 
the  believer,  and  which  leads  us  to  hope,  if  not  absolutely 
to  confide  in  it  as  a  matter  of  faith,  that  we  may  recognize 
each  other  in  the  next  state  of  being,  and  that  in  a  commun- 
ion still  sweeter  than  any  of  this  life,  since  it  will  be  a  com- 
munion free  from  all  sin  and  governed  by  holiness?  " 

"We  sailors  give  little  heed  to  these  matters,  Grace;  but 
I  feel  that,  in  future,  the  idea  you  have  just  mentioned  will 
be  full  of  consolation  to  me." 

"Remember,  my   best- beloved    brother,   it    is   only   the 


I04  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

blessed  that  can  enjoy  such  a  recognition — to  the  accursed 
it  must  add  an  additional  weight  to  the  burden  of  their  woe." 

"  Felix  trembled !  "  The  thought  that  even  this  chance 
of  again  meeting  my  sister,  and  of  communing  with  her  in 
the  form  in  which  I  had  ever  seen  and  loved  her  might  be 
lost,  came  in  aid  of  other  good  resolutions  that  the  state  of 
the  family  had  quickened  in  my  heart.  I  thought,  however, 
it  might  be  well  not  to  let  Grace  lead  the  conversation  to 
such  subjects,  after  all  that  had  just  passed,  repose  becom- 
ing necessary  to  her  again.  I  therefore  proposed  calling 
Lucy,  in  order  that  she  might  be  carried  to  her  own  room. 
I  say  carried ;  for,  by  a  remark  that  fell  from  Chloe,  I  had 
ascertained  that  this  was  the  mode  in  which  she  had  been 
brought  to  the  place  of  meeting.  Grace  acquiesced;  but 
while  we  waited  for  Chloe  to  answer  the  bell,  she  continued 
to  converse. 

"I  have  not  exacted  of  you.  Miles,"  my  sister  continued, 
"any  promise  to  keep  my  bequest  a  secret  from  the  world; 
your  own  sense  of  delicacy  would  do  that;  but  I  will  make 
it  a  condition  that  you  do  not  speak  of  it  to  either  Mr.  Har- 
dinge  or  Lucy.  They  may  possibly  raise  weak  objections, 
particularly  the  last,  who  has,  and  ever  has  had,  some  ex- 
aggerated opinions  about  receiving  money.  Even  in  her 
days  of  poverty,  and  poor  as  she  was,  you  know,  notwith- 
standing our  true  love  for  each  other,  and  close  intimacy,  I 
never  could  induce  Lucy  to  receive  a  cent.  Nay,  so  scrupu- 
lous has  she  been,  that  the  little  presents  which  friends  con- 
stantly give  and  receive,  she  would  decline,  because  she  had 
not  the  means  of  offering  them  in  return." 

I  remembered  the  gold  the  dear  girl  had  forced  on  me, 
when  I  first  went  to  sea,  and  could  have  kneeled  at  her  feet 
and  called  her  "  blessed." 

"  And  this  did  not  make  you  love  and  respect  Lucy  the 
less,  my  sister?  But  do  not  answer;  so  much  conversing 
must  distress  you." 

"  Not  at  all,  Miles.     I  speak  without  suffering,  nor  does 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  IO5 

the  little  talking  I  do  enfeeble  me  in  the  least.  When  I 
appear  exhausted,  it  is  from  the  feelings  which  accompany 
our  discourse.  I  talk  much,  very  much,  with  dear  Lucy, 
who  hears  me  with  more  patience  than  yourself,  brother!  " 

I  knew  that  this  remark  applied  to  Grace's  wish  to  dwell 
on  the  unknown  future,  and  did  not  receive  it  as  a  reproach 
in  any  other  sense.  As  she  seemed  calm,  however,  I  was 
willing  to  indulge  her  wish  to  converse  with  me,  so  long 
as  she  dwelt  on  subjects  that  did  not  agitate  her.  Speaking 
of  her  hopes  of  heaven  had  a  contrary  effect,  and  I  made  no 
further  opposition. 

"  Lucy's  hesitation  to  be  under  the  obligations  you  men- 
tion did  not  lessen  her  in  your  esteem?  "  I  repeated. 

"  You  know  it  could  not.  Miles.  Lucy  is  a  dear,  good 
girl;  and  the  more  intimately  one  knows  her,  the  more  cer- 
tain is  one  to  esteem  her.  I  have  every  reason  to  bless 
and  pray  for  Lucy;  still,  I  desire  you  not  to  make  either 
her  or  her  father  acquainted  with  my  bequest." 

"  Rupert  would  hardly  conceal  such  a  thing  from  so  near 
and  dear  friends." 

"  Let  Rupert  judge  of  the  propriety  of  that  for  himself. 
Kiss  me,  brother;  do  not  ask  to  see  me  again  to-day,  for  I 
have  much  to  arrange  with  Lucy ;  to-morrow  I  shall  expect 
a  long  visit.  God  bless  you,  my  own,  dear — my  only 
brother,  and  ever  have  you  in  his  holy  keeping!  " 

I  left  the  room  as  Chloe  entered;  and,  in  threading  the 
long  passage  that  led  to  the  apartment  which  was  appropri- 
ated to  my  own  particular  purposes,  as  an  office,  cabinet,  or 
study,  I  met  Lucy  near  the  door  of  the  latter.  I  could  see 
she  had  been  weeping,  and  she  followed  me  into  the  room. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  her.  Miles?  "  the  dear  girl  asked, 
uttering  the  words  in  a  tone  so  low  and  plaintive  as  to  say 
all  that  she  anticipated  herself. 

"  We  shall  lose  her,  Lucy;  yes,  'tis  God's  pleasure  to  call 
her  to  himself." 

Had  worlds  depended  on  the  effort,  I  could  not  have  got 


I06  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

out  another  syllable.  The  feelings  which  had  been  so  long 
pent  up  in  Grace's  presence  broke  out,  and  I  am  not  ashamed 
to  say  that  I  wept  and  sobbed  like  an  infant. 

How  kind,  how  woman-like,  how  affectionate  did  Lucy 
show  herself  at  that  bitter  moment.  She  said  but  little, 
though  I  think  I  overheard  her  murmuring  "poor  Miles!" 
— "poor,  dear  Miles!" — "what  a  blow  it  must  be  to  a 
brother!  "—"God  will  temper  this  loss  to  him!  "  and  other 
similar  expressions.  She  took  one  of  my  hands  and  pressed 
it  warmly  between  both  her  own ;  held  it  there  for  two  or 
three  minutes ;  hovered  round  me,  as  the  mother  keeps  near 
the  slumbering  infant  when  illness  renders  rest  necessary; 
and  seemed  more  like  a  spirit  sympathizing  with  my  grief 
than  a  mere  observer  of  its  violence.  In  reflecting  on  what 
then  passed,  months  afterward,  it  appeared  to  me  that  Lucy 
had  entirely  forgotten  herself,  her  own  causes  of  sorrow,  her 
own  feelings  as  respected  Grace,  in  the  single  wish  to  solace 
me.  But  this  was  ever  her  character;  this  was  her  very 
nature ;  to  live  out  of  herself  as  it  might  be,  and  in  the  ex- 
istences of  those  whom  she  esteemed  or  loved.  During  this 
scene,  Lucy  lost  most  of  the  restraints  which  womanhood 
and  more  matured  habits  had  placed  on  her  deportment; 
and  she  behaved  towards  me  with  the  innocent  familiarity 
that  marked  our  intercourse  down  to  the  time  I  sailed  in 
the  Crisis.  It  is  true,  I  was  too  dreadfully  agitated  at  first 
to  take  heed  of  all  that  passed;  but,  I  well  remember,  that, 
before  leaving  me  in  obedience  to  a  summons  from  Grace, 
she  laid  her  head  affectionately  on  mine,  and  kissed  the 
curls  with  which  nature  had  so  profusely  covered  the  last. 
I  thought,  at  the  time,  notwithstanding,  that  the  salute 
would  have  been  on  the  forehead,  or  cheek,  three  years  be- 
fore, or  previously  to  her  acquaintance  with  Drewett. 

I  was  a  long  time  in  regaining  entire  self-command;  but, 
when  I  did,  I  opened  my  sister's  letter  to  Rupert,  agreeably 
to  her  request,  and  perused  it  thrice  without  a  pause,  even 
to  reflect.     It  was  conceived  in  these  words : — 


miles  wallingford.  lo/ 

"My  Dearest  Rupert — 

"God,  in  his  infinite  and  inscrutable  wisdom,  when  you 
read  this  letter,  will  have  seen  fit  to  call  me  to  himself. 
Let  not  this  seeming  loss,  in  any  manner,  afflict  you,  my 
friend;  for  I  feel  the  humble  assurance  that  I  shall  reap  the 
full  benefit  of  the  Saviour's  great  sacrific.  I  could  not  have 
been  happy  in  this  life,  Rupert;  and  it  is  a  mercy  that  I  am 
taken,  thus  early,  to  a  better.  It  grieves  me  to  part  from 
your  excellent  father,  from  our  precious  and  rightfully  be- 
loved Lucy,  and  from  dear,  dear  Miles.  This  is  the  last 
tribute  I  pay  to  nature,  and  I  hope  it  will  be  pardoned  for 
its  character.  There  i?  a  strong  hope  within  me,  that  my 
death  will  be  sanctified  to  the  benefit  of  my  friends.  With 
this  view,  and  this  view  only,  beloved  Rupert,  I  wish  you  to 
remember  it.  In  all  other  respects  let  it  be  forgotten.  You 
have  found  it  impossible  to  command  your  affections,  and 
worlds  would  not  have  tempted  me  to  become  your  wife 
without  possessing  all  your  heart.  I  pray  daily,  almost 
hourly" — tears  had  evidently  blotted  this  portion  of  the 
letter — "for  you  and  Emily.  Live  together,  and  make  each 
other  happy.  She  is  a  sweet  girl;  has  enjoyed  advantages 
that  Clawbonny  could  not  bestow,  and  which  will  contribute 
to  your  gratification.  In  order  that  you  may  sometimes 
think  of  me  " — poor  Grace  was  not  aware  of  this  contradic- 
tion in  her  requests — "  Miles  will  send  you  a  legacy  that  I 
leave  you.  Accept  it  as  a  little  fortune  with  Emily.  I 
wish  sincerely,  it  were  much  larger;  but  you  will  not  over- 
look the  intention,  and  forget  the  insufficiency  of  the  sum. 
Small  as  it  is,  I  trust  it  will  enable  you  to  marry  at  once, 
and  Lucy's  heart  may  be  confided  in  for  the  rest. 

"Farewell,  Rupert — I  do  not  say,  farewell  Emily;  for  I 
think  this  letter,  as  well  as  its  object,  had  better  remain  a 
secret  between  you  and  me,  and  my  brother — but  I  wish 
your  future  wife  all  earthly  happiness,  and  an  end  as  full 
of  hope,  as  that  which  attdhds  the  death-bed  of  your  affec- 
tionate "Grace  Wallingford." 


I08  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Oh!  woman,  woman,  what  are  ye  not,  when  duly  pro- 
tected and  left  to  the  almost  divine  impulses  of  your  gen- 
erous natures !  What  may  ye  not  become,  when  rendered 
mercenary  and  envious  by  too  close  a  contact  with  those 
worldly  interests  which  are  never  admitted  to  an  ascendency 
without  destroying  all  your  moral  beauty ! 


CHAPTER   VII. 


And  the  beautiful,  whose  record 

Is  the  verse  that  cannot  die, 

They  too  are  gone,  with  their  glorious  bloom, 

From  the  love  of  human  eye. 

Mrs.  Hemans. 

I  CANNOT  dwell  minutely  on  the  events'  of  the  week  that  suc- 
ceeded. Grace  sunk  daily,  hourly ;  and  the  medical  advice 
that  was  obtained,  more  as  a  duty  than  with  any  hope  of  its 
benefiting  the  patient,  failed  of  assisting  her.  Mr.  Har- 
dinge  saw  the  invalid  often,  and  I  was  admitted  to  her  room 
each  day,  where  she  would  lie  reclining  on  my  bosom  for 
hours  at  a  time,  seemingly  fond  of  this  innocent  indulgence 
of  her  affections,  on  the  eve  of  her  final  departure.  As  it 
was  out  of  the  question  that  my  sister  should  again  visit  the 
family  room,  the  causeuse  was  brought  into  her  chamber, 
where  it  was  made  to  perform  the  office  to  which  it  had  been 
several  times  devoted  in  its  proper  apartment  since  my  re- 
turn from  sea.  That  venerable  chair  still  exists,  and  I  often 
pass  thoughtful  hours  in  it  in  my  old  age,  musing  on  the 
past,  and  recalling  the  different  scenes  and  conversations  of 
which  it  could  tell,  did  it  possess  consciousness  and  the 
faculty  of  speech. 

Mr.  Hardinge  officiated  in  his  own  church,  agreeably  to 
his  intention,  on  the  succeeding  Sunday.  Lucy  remained 
with  her  friend,  and  I  make  no  doubt  their  spirits  devoutly 
communed  with  ours  the  while,  for  I  mastered  sufficient 
fortitude  to  be  present  at  St.  Michael's.     I  could  observe 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  IO9 

an  earnest  sympathy  in  every  member  of  the  little  congre- 
gation, and  tears  fell  from  nearly  every  eye  when  the  prayer 
for  the  sick  was  read.  Mr.  Hardinge  remained  at  the  rec- 
tory for  the  further  duties  of  the  day,  but  I  rode  home  im- 
mediately after  morning  service,  too  uneasy  to  remain 
absent  from  the  house  longer  than  was  necessary,  at  such  a 
moment.  As  my  horse  trotted  slowly  homeward,  he  over- 
took Neb,  who  was  walking  towards  Clawbonny  with  an  air 
so  different  from  his  customary  manner,  I  could  not  help 
remarking  it.  Neb  was  a  muscular,  active  black,  and 
usually  walked  as  if  his  legs  were  all  springs;  but  he 
moved  along  now  so  heavily,  that  I  could  not  but  see  some 
weight  upon  the  spirits  had  produced  this  influence  on  the 
body.  The  change  was,  naturally,  enough,  attributed  to 
the  state  of  affairs  with  Chloe ;  and  I  felt  disposed  to  say  a 
word  to  my  faithful  slave,  who  had  been  unavoidably  over- 
looked in  the  pressure  of  sorrow  that  had  weighed  me  down 
for  the  last  ten  days.  I  spoke  to  the  poor  fellow  as  cheer- 
fully as  I  could,  as  I  came  up,  and  endeavored  to  touch  on 
such  subjects  as  I  thought  might  interest  without  troubling 
him. 

"  This  is  a  famous  windfall  that  has  crossed  Mr.  Marble's 
track,  Neb,"  I  said,  pulling  up  in  order  to  go  a  short  dis- 
tance at  an  even  pace  with  my  brother  tar.  "  As  nice  an 
old  woman  for  a  mother,  as  pretty  a  little  girl  for  a  niece, 
and  as  snug  a  haven  to  moor  in  at  the  end  of  the  voyage, 
as  any  old  worn-out  sea-dog  could  or  ought  to  wish." 

"Yes,  sir,  Masser  Mile,"  Neb  answered,  as  I  fancied,  in 
the  manner  of  one  who  was  thinking  of  something  different 
from  what  he  said;  "yes,  sir,  Mr.  Marble  a  reg'lar  sea-dog." 

"  And  as  such  not  the  less  entitled  to  have  a  good  old 
mother,  a  pretty  niece,  and  a  snug  home." 

"No,  sir;  none  de  wuss  for  bin'  sea-dog,  all  must  allow. 
Nebberdeless,  Masser  Mile,  I  sometime  wish  you  and  I 
nebber  hab  see  salt  water. 

"  That   is  almost  as  much  as  wishing  we  never  looked 


no  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

down  the  Hudson  from  the  hills  and  banks  of  Clawbonny, 
boy ;  the  river  itself  being  salt  not  far  below  us.  You  are 
thinking  of  Chloe,  and  fancying  that  had  you  stayed  at  home 
your  chance  of  getting  into  her  good  graces  would  have  been 
better." 

"  No,  Masser  Mile ;  no,  sir.  Nobody  at  Clawbonny  t'ink 
just  now,  of  anything  but  deat'." 

I  started  in  surprise.  Mr.  Hardinge  kept  everything  like 
exaggeration  and  those  physical  excitements  which  it  is  so 
much  the  habit  of  certain  sects  to  mistake  for  religious  im- 
pulses, even  from  the  negroes  of  the  Clawbonny  property. 
Neb's  speech  sounded  more  like  an  innovation  of  this  na- 
ture than  I  had  ever  heard  among  my  people ;  and  I  looked 
hard  at  the  fellow  for  an  instant  before  I  answered. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  understand  you,  Neb,"  was  my  reply,  after 
a  meaning  pause.  "  It  is  a  relief  to  me  to  find  that  my  peo- 
ple retain  all  their  affections  for  the  children  of  their  old 
master  and  mistress." 

"  We  hard-hearted,  indeed,  sir,  if  we  don't.  Ah !  Masser 
Mile,  you  and  I  see  many  dreadful  t'ing  togeder,  but  we 
nebber  see  anything  like  dis!  " 

Neb's  dark  cheek  was  glistening  with  tears  as  he  spoke, 
and  I  spurred  my  horse  lest  my  own  manhood  might  give 
way  there  in  the  road,  and  in  the  presence  of  those  who  were 
fast  approaching.  Why  Neb  had  expressed  sorrow  for  hav- 
ing ever  gone  to  sea,  I  could  not  account  for  in  any  other 
manner  than  by  supposing  that  he  imagined  Grace  was,  in 
some  manner,  a  sufferer  by  my  absence  from  home. 

When  I  reached  the  house,  not  a  soul  was  visible.  The 
men  had  all  gone  to  church,  and  were  to  be  seen  in  the  dis- 
tance, coming  along  the  road,  singly,  and  in  a  melancholy 
manner,  not  a  sign  of  the  customary  thoughtless  merriment 
of  a  negro  escaping  a  single  individual  among  them ;  but  it 
was  usual  for  some  of  the  black  Venuses  to  be  seen  sunning 
themselves  at  that  season,  exhibiting  their  summer  finery  to 
each  other  and  their  admirers.     Not  one  was  now  visible. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  Ill 

All  the  front  of  the  house,  the  lawn,  the  kitchens,  of  which 
there  were  no  less  than  three,  and  the  kitchen  yards;  in 
short,  every  familiar  haunt  of  the  dwelling  was  deserted  and 
empty.  This  boded  evil ;  and,  throwing  the  bridle  over  a 
post,  I  walked  hurriedly  towards  the  part  of  the  building,  or 
buildings^  would  be  a  better  word,  inhabited  by  Grace. 

As  I  entered  the  passage  which  communicated  with  my 
sister's  own  room,  the  departure  from  ordinary  appearances 
was  explained.  Six  or  seven  of  the  negresses  were  kneeling 
near  the  door,  and  I  could  hear  the  low,  solemn,  earnest 
voice  of  Lucy,  reading  some  of  the  collects  and  other  prayers 
suited  to  the  sick-chamber  and  to  the  wants  of  a  parting 
soul.  Lucy's  voice  was  music  itself,  but  never  before  had 
it  sounded  so  plaintively  sweet.  The  lowest  intonation  was 
distinctly  audible,  as  if  the  dear,  devout  creature  felt  that 
the  Being  she  addressed  was  not  to  be  approached  in  any 
other  manner,  while  the  trembling  earnestness  of  the  tones 
betrayed  the  depth  of  feeling  with  which  each  syllable  es- 
caped from  the  heart.  Talk  of  liturgies  impairing  the  fervor 
of  prayer!  This  maybe  the  fact  with  those  who  are  im- 
mersed in  themselves  while  communing  with  God,  and  can- 
not consent  even  to  pray  without  placing  their  own  thoughts 
and  language,  however  ill-digested  and  crude,  uppermost  in 
the  business  of  the  moment.  Do  not  such  persons  know 
that,  as  respects  united  worship,  their  own  prayers  are,  to  all 
intents  and  purposes,  a  formulary  to  their  listeners,  with  the 
disadvantage  of  being  received  without  preparation  or  direc- 
tion to  the  mind? — nay, too  often  substituting  a  critical  and 
prurient  curiosity  for  humble  and  intelligent  prayer?  In 
these  later  times,  when  Christianity  is  reassuming  the  char- 
acter of  the  quarrels  of  sects,  and,  as  an  old  man  who  has 
lived,  and  hopes  to  die,  in  communion  with  the  Anglo- 
American  church,  I  do  not  wish  to  exculpate  my  own  par- 
ticular branch  of  the  Catholic  body  from  blame ;  but,  in 
these  later  times,  when  Christianity  is  returning  to  its  truc- 
ulency,  forgetful  of  the  chiefest  of  virtues,  charity,  I  have 


112  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

often  recalled  the  scene  of  that  solemn  noontide,  and  asked 
myself  the  question,  "  if  any  man  could  have  heard  Lucy, 
as  I  did,  on  that  occasion,  concluding  with  the  petition  which 
Christ  himself  gave  to  his  disciples  as  a  comprehensive 
rule,  if  not  absolutely  as  a  formulary,  and  imagine  the  heart 
could  not  fully  accompany  words  that  had  been  previously 
prescribed? " 

No  sooner  had  Lucy's  solemn  tones  ceased  than  I  passed 
through  the  crowd  of  weeping  and  still  kneeling  blacks,  and 
entered  my  sister's  room.  Grace  was  reclining  in  an  easy 
chair;  her  eyes  closed,  her  hands  clasped  together,  but  lying 
on  her  knees,  and  her  whole  attitude  and  air  proclaiming  a 
momentary,  but  total  abstraction  of  the  spirit.  I  do  not 
think  she  heard  my  footstep  at  all,  and  I  stood  at  her  side 
an  instant,  uncertain  whether  to  let  her  know  of  my  pres- 
ence, or  not.  At  this  instant  I  caught  the  eye  of  Lucy,  who 
seemed  intent  on  the  wish  to  speak  to  me.  Grace  had  three 
or  four  small  rooms  that  communicated  with  each  other  in 
her  part  of  the  dwelling ;  and  into  one  of  these,  which  served 
as  a  sort  of  boudoir^  though  the  name  was  then  unknown  in 
America,  I  followed  the  dear  girl,  whose  speaking  but  sad 
look  had  bidden  me  to  do  so. 

"  Is  my  father  near  at  hand  ?  "  Lucy  asked,  with  an  inter- 
est I  did  not  understand,  since  she  must  have  known  he  in- 
tended to  remain  at  his  own  residence,  in  readiness  for  the 
afternoon  service. 

"He  is  not.  You  forget  he  has  to  attend  to  evening 
prayers." 

"  I  have  sent  for  him.  Miles,"  taking  one  of  my  hands  in 
both  her  own,  with  the  tenderness  a  mother  would  manifest 
to  a  very  dear  child.  "  Dear  Miles,  you  must  summon  all 
your  fortitude." 

"  Is  my  sister  worse  ?  "  I  demanded,  huskily,  for,  prepared 
as  I  was  for  the  result,  I  was  not  expecting  it  by  any  means 
so  soon. 

**  I  cannot  call  it  worse,  Miles,  to  be  about  to  be  called 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  II3 

away  to  God  in  such  a  frame  of  mind.  But  it  is  proper  I 
should  tell  you  all.  Rather  less  than  an  hour  since,  Grace 
told  me  that  the  hour  was  at  hand.  She  has  the  knowledge  of 
her  approaching  end,  though  she  would  not  let  me  send  for 
you.  She  said  you  would  have  ample  time  to  witness  it  all. 
For  my  father,  however,  I  have  sent,  and  he  must  soon  be  here." 

"Almighty  Providence!  Lucy,  do  you  really  think  we 
shall  lose  Grace  so  soon  ?  " 

"  As  it  is  the  will  of  God  to  take  her  from  us,  Miles,  1 
can  scarce  repine  that  her  end  should  be  so  easy,  and,  in  all 
respects,  so  tranquil." 

So  long  as  memory  is  granted  to  me,  will  the  picture  that 
Lucy  presented  at  that  moment  remain  vividly  impressed  on 
my  mind.  She  loved  Grace  as  a  most  dear  sister;  loved  her 
as  an  affectionate,  generous-minded,  devoted  woman  alone 
can  love;  and  yet,  so  keenly  was  she  alive  to  the  nature  of 
the  communication  it  was  her  duty  to  make,  that  concern  for 
me  alone  reigned  in  her  saddened  and  anxious  eye.  Her 
mind  had  schooled  itself  to  bear  its  own  grief,  and  meek, 
believing,  and  disposed  to  foresee  all  that  her  profound  faith 
taught  her  to  hope,  I  do  believe  she  considered  my  sister  a 
subject  of  envy  rather  than  of  regret,  though  her  solicitude 
on  my  account  was  so  absorbing.  This  generous  self-denial 
touched  my  feelings  in  more  ways  than  one,  enabling  me  to 
command  myself  to  a  degree  that  might  otherwise  have  been 
out  of  my  power,  during  the  few  succeeding  hours.  I  felt 
ashamed  to  manifest  all  I  endured  in  the  presence  of  so 
much  meek  but  pious  fortitude,  and  that  exhibited  by  one 
whose  heart  I  so  well  knew  to  be  the  very  seat  of  the  best 
human  affections.  The  sad  smile  that  momentarily  illumi- 
nated Lucy's  countenance,  as  she  gazed  anxiously  in  my 
face  when  speaking,  was  full  of  submissive  hope  and  Chris- 
tian faith. 

"  God's  will  be  done,"  I  rather  whispered  than  uttered 
aloud.     "  Heaven  is  a  pllce  more  suited  to  such  a  spirit  than 
the  abodes  of  men." 
8 


114  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Lucy  pressed  my  hand,  and  appeared  relieved  from  a 
load  of  intense  anxiety  by  this  seeming  fortitude.  She  bade 
me  remain  where  I  was,  until  she  had  herself  apprised 
Grace  of  my  return  from  church.  I  could  see  through  the 
open  door  that  the  negresses  had  been  directed  to  retire, 
and  presently  I  heard  the  footstep  of  Mr.  Hardinge  ap- 
proaching the  room  adjoining  that  in  which  I  then  was,  and 
which  answered  the  purpose  of  a  sort  of  antechamber  for 
those  who  came  to  the  sick-room  from  the  more  public  side 
of  the  house.  I  met  my  excellent  old  guardian  in  that 
apartment,  and  Lucy  was  at  my  side  at  the  next  instant. 
One  word  from  the  last  sufficed  to  keep  us  in  this  room 
while  she  returned  to  that  of  Grace. 

"  God  have  mercy  on  us,  my  dear  boy,"  the  divine  ejacu- 
lated, as  much  in  prayer  as  in  grief;  "and  I  say  on  us^  as 
well  as  on  you^  for  Grace  has  ever  been  dear  to  me  as  a 
child  of  my  own.  I  knew  the  blow  must  come,  and  have 
prayed  the  Lord  to  prepare  us  all  for  it,  and  to  sanctify  it  to 
us,  old  and  young,  but  notwithstanding,  death  has  come  *lit- 
erally '  when  no  man  knoweth.  I  must  have  materials  for 
writing,  Miles,  and  you  will  choose  an  express  for  me  out  of 
your  people ;  let  the  man  be  ready  to  mount  in  half  an  hour, 
for  I  shall  not  require  half  that  time  to  prepare  my  letter." 

"  Medical  advice  is  useless,  I  am  afraid,  dear  sir,"  I  an- 
swered. "  We  have  Post's  directions,  and  very  respectable 
attendance  from  our  own  family  physician.  Dr.  Wurtz,  who 
gave  me  to  understand  several  days  since  that  he  saw  no 
other  means  of  averting  the  evil  we  dread  than  those  already 
adopted.  Still,  sir,  I  shall  be  easier  if  we  can  persuade  Dr. 
Bard  to  cross  the  river,  and  have  already  thought  of  sending 
Neb  once  more  on  that  errand." 

"  Do  so,"  returned  Mr.  Hardinge,  drawing  towards  him  a 
little  table  on  which  Dr.  Wurtz  had  written  a  few  prescrip- 
tions, that  were  used  more  for  form,  I  believe,  than  any  ex- 
pectation of  the  good  they  could  do,  and  beginning  to  write 
even  while  talking.    "  Do  so,"  he  added,  "  and  Neb  can  put 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  II5 

this  letter  in  the  post  office  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river, 
which  will  be  the  quickest  mode  of  causing  it  to  reach  Ru- 
pert  " 

"Rupert!"  I  exclaimed,  on  a  key  that  I  instantly  re- 
gretted. 

"Certainly;  we  can  do  no  less  than  send  for  Rupert, 
Miles.  He  has  ever  been  like  a  brother  to  Grace,  and  the 
poor  fellow  would  feel  the  neglect  keenly,  did  we  overlook 
him  on  an  occasion  like  this.  You  seem  astonished  at  my 
thinking  of  summoning  him  to  Clawbonny." 

"  Rupert  is  at  the  Springs,  sir,  happy  in  the  society  of 
Miss  Merton ;  would  it  not  be  better  to  leave  him  where  he 
is?" 

"  What  would  you  think,  Miles,  were  Lucy  on  her  death- 
bed, and  we  should  fail  to  let  you  know  it?  " 

I  gazed  so  wildly  at  the  good  old  man,  I  believe,  that 
even  his  simplicity  could  not  avoid  seeing  the  immense 
difference  between  the  real  and  the  supposititious  case. 

"  Very  true,  poor  Miles,  very  true,"  Mr.  Hardinge  added 
in  an  apologetic  manner ;  "  I  see  the  weakness  of  my  com- 
parison, though  I  was  beginning  to  hope  you  were  already 
regarding  Lucy  once  more  with  the  eyes  of  a  brother.  But 
Rupert  must  not  be  forgotten  either,  and  here  is  my  letter 
already  written." 

"It  will  be  too  late,  sir,"  I  got  out,  hoarsely;  "my  sister 
cannot  survive  the  day." 

I  perceived  that  Mr.  Hardinge  was  not  prepared  for  this ; 
his  cheek  grew  pale,  and  his  hand  trembled  as  he  sealed  the 
epistle.     Still  he  sent  it,  as  I  afterwards  discovered. 

"God's  will  be  done!"  the  excellent  divine  murmured. 
"  If  such  should  really  be  his  holy  will,  we  ought  not  to 
mourn  that  another  humble  Christian  spirit  is  called  away 
to  the  presence  of  its  great  Creator !  Rupert  can,  at  least, 
attend  to  do  honor  to  all  that  we  can  honor  of  the  saint  we 
lose." 

There  was  no  resisting  or  contending  with  so  much  sim- 


Il6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

plicity  and  goodness  of  heart;  and  had  it  been  in  my  pow- 
er, a  summons  to  the  room  of  Grace  called  all  my  thoughts 
to  her.  My  sister's  eyes  were  now  open.  I  shuddered,  felt 
a  sinking  of  the  heart  like  that  produced  by  despair,  as  I 
caught  their  unearthly  or  rather  their  supernatural  expres- 
sion. It  was  not  that  anything  which  indicated  death  in 
its  more  shocking  aspects  met  my  look,  but  simply  that  I 
could  trace  the  illumination  of  a  spirit  that  already  felt  it- 
self on  the  eve  of  a  new  state  of  being,  and  one  that  must  at 
least  separate  all  that  remained  behind  from  any  further 
communication  with  itself.  I  am  not  certain  that  I  felt  no 
pang  at  the  thought  my  sister  could  be  entirely  happy  with- 
out any  participation  on  my  part  in  her  bliss.  We  are  all 
so  selfish  that  it  is  hard  to  say  how  far  even  our  most  inno- 
cent longings  are  free  from  the  taint  of  this  feature  of  our 
nature. 

But  Grace  herself  could  not  entirely  shake  off  the  ties  of 
kindred  and  human  love  so  long  as  her  spirit  continued  in 
its  earthly  tenement.  So  far  from  this,  every  glance  she 
cast  on  one  or  all  of  us  denoted  the  fathomless  tenderness 
of  her  nature,  and  was  filled  with  its  undying  affection.  She 
was  weak,  frightfully  so,  I  fancied,  for  death  appeared  to 
hasten  in  order  to  release  her  as  swiftly  and  easily  as  possi- 
ble, yet  did  her  interest  in  me  and  in  Lucy  sustain  her  suffi- 
ciently to  enable  her  to  impart  much  that  she  wished  to 
say.  In  obedience  to  a  sign  from  her,  I  knelt  at  her  side, 
and  received  her  head  on  my  bosom  as  near  as  possible  in 
that  attitude  in  which  we  had  already  passed  hours  since  her 
illness.  Mr.  Hardinge  hovered  over  us  like  a  ministering 
spirit,  uttering  in  a  suppressed  and  yet  distinct  voice  some 
of  the  sublimest  of  those  passages  from  Scripture  that  are 
the  most  replete  with  consolation  to  the  parting  spirit.  As 
for  Lucy,  to  me  she  seemed  to  be  precisely  in  that  spot 
where  she  was  most  wanted,  and  often  did  Grace's  eyes  turn 
towards  her  with  gleamings  of  gratitude  and  love. 

"  The  hour  is  near,  brother,"  Grace  whispered,  as  she  lay 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  11/ 

on  my  bosom.  "Remember,  I  die  asking  forgiveness  as 
much  for  those  who  may  have  done  me  wrong,  as  for  myself. 
Forget  nothing  that  you  have  promised  me;  do  nothing  to 
cause  Lucy  and  her  father  sorrow." 

"  I  understand  you,  sister,"  was  my  low  answer.  "  De- 
pend on  all  I  have  said — all  you  can  wish.^^ 

A  gentle  pressure  of  the  hand  was  the  token  of  content- 
ment with  which  this  assurance  was  received. 

From  that  moment  it  seemed  to  me  that  Grace  was  less 
than  usual  attached  to  the  things  of  the  world.  Neverthe- 
less, her  interest  in  those  she  loved,  and  who  loved  her,  con- 
tinued to  the  last. 

"  Let  all  the  slaves  that  wish  to  see  me,  enter,"  Grace 
said,  rousing  herself  to  perform  a  trying  but  necessary  duty. 
"  I  never  can  repay  them  for  all  they  have  done  for  me;  but 
I  trust  them  to  you.  Miles,  with  confidence." 

Lucy  glided  from  the  room,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  long 
train  of  dark  faces  was  seen  approaching  the  door.  The 
grief  of  these  untutored  beings,  like  their  mirth,  is  usually 
loud  and  vociferous ;  but  Lucy,  dear,  considerate,  energetic 
Lucy — energetic  even  in  the  midst  of  a  sorrow  that  nearly 
crushed  her  to  the  earth — had  foreseen  all  this,  and  the 
blacks  were  admitted  only  on  the  condition  of  their  preserv- 
ing a  command  over  themselves  in  the  interview. 

Grace  spoke  to  every  one  of  the  females,  taking  leave  of 
each  calmly  and  with  some  useful  and  impressive  admoni- 
tion, while  the  older  men  were  also  noticed  personally. 

"  Go,  and  rejoice  that  I  am  so  soon  released  from  the 
cares  of  this  world,"  she  said,  when  the  sad  ceremony  was 
over.  "  Pray  for  me,  and  for  yourselves.  My  brother  knows 
my  wishes  in  your  behalf,  and  will  see  them  executed.  God 
bless  you,  my  friends,  and  have  you  in  his  holy  keeping." 

So  great  was  the  ascendency  Lucy  had  obtained  over  these 
poor  simple  creatures  during  the  short  time  they  had  been 
under  her  mild  but  consistent  rule,  that  each  and  all  left  the 
room  as  quiet  as  children,  awe-struck  by  the  solemnity  of 


Il8  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

the  scene.  Still,  the  oldest  and  most  wrinkled  of  their 
cheeks  were  wet  with  tears,  and  it  was  only  by  the  most 
extraordinary  efforts  that  they  were  enabled  to  repress  the 
customary  outbreakings  of  sorrow.  I  had  gone  to  a  window 
to  conceal  my  own  feelings  after  this  leave-taking,  when  a 
rustling  in  the  bushes  beneath  it  caught  my  ear.  Looking 
out,  there  lay  Neb,  flat  on  his  face,  his  Herculean  frame 
extended  at  full  length,  his  hands  actually  griping  the  earth 
under  the  mental  agony  he  endured,  and  yet  the  faithful 
fellow  would  not  even  utter  a  groan,  lest  it  might  reach  his 
young  mistress's  ears,  and  disquiet  her  last  moments.  I 
afterwards  ascertained  he  had  taken  that  post  in  order  that  he 
might  learn  from  time  to  time,  by  means  of  signs  from  Chloe, 
how  things  proceeded  in  the  chamber  above.  Lucy  soon 
recalled  me  to  my  old  post,  Grace  having  expressed  a  wish 
to  that  effect. 

"It  will  be  but  an  hour,  and  we  shall  all  be  together 
again,"  Grace  said,  startling  us  all  by  the  clearness  and  dis- 
tinctness of  her  enunciation.  "  The  near  approach  of  death 
places  us  on  a  height  whence  we  can  see  the  entire  world 
and  its  vanities  at  a  single  view." 

I  pressed  the  dying  girl  closer  to  my  heart,  a  species  of 
involuntary  declaration  of  the  difficulty  I  experienced  in  re- 
garding her  loss  with  the  religious  philosophy  she  was 
inculcating. 

"  Mourn  not  for  me,  Miles,"  she  continued — "  yet  I  know 
you  will  mourn.  But  God  will  temper  the  blow,  and  in  his 
mercy  may  cause  it  to  profit  you  forever." 

I  did  not,  could  not  answer.  I  saw  Grace  endeavoring  to 
get  a  look  at  my  countenance,  as  if  to  observe  the  effect  of 
the  scene.  By  my  assistance  she  was  so  placed  as  to  obtain 
her  wish.  The  sight,  I  believe,  aroused  feelings  that  had 
begun  to  yield  to  the  influence  of  the  last  great  change;  for, 
when  my  sister  spoke  next,  it  was  with  a  tenderness  of  ac- 
cent that  proved  how  hard  it  is  for  those  who  are  deeply 
affectionate  to  lose  their  instincts. 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  II9 

"Poor  Miles!  I  almost  wish  we  could  go  together! 
You  have  been  a  dear,  good  brother  to  me."  (What  a 
sweet  consolation  I  afterwards  found  in  these  words!)  "It 
grieves  me  to  leave  you  so  nearly  alone  in  the  world.  But 
you  will  have  Mr.  Hardinge,  and  our  Lucy " 

The  pause,  and  the  look  that  succeeded,  caused  a  slight 
tremor  to  pass  over  my  frame.  Grace's  eyes  turned  anxiously 
from  me  to  the  form  of  the  kneeling  and  weeping  Lucy.  I 
fancied  that  she  was  about  to  express  a  wish,  or  some  regret, 
in  connection  with  us  two,  that  even  at  such  a  moment  I 
could  not  have  heard  without  betraying  the  concern  it  would 
give  me.  She  did  not  speak,  however,  though  her  look  was 
too  eloquent  to  be  mistaken.  I  ascribed  the  forbearance  to 
the  conviction  that  it  would  be  too  late,  Lucy's  affections 
belonging  to  Andrew  Drewett.  At  that  instant  I  had  a  bit- 
ter remembrance  of  Neb's  words  of  "  I  sometime  wish,  Mas- 
ser  Mile,  you  and  I  nebber  had  see  salt  water."  But  that 
was  not  the  moment  to  permit  such  feelings  to  get  the  mas- 
tery; and  Grace  herself  felt  too  clearly  that  her  minutes 
were  numbered,  to  allow  her  mind  to  dwell  on  the  subject. 

"  An  Almighty  Providence  will  direct  everything  for  the 
best,  in  this  as  in  other  things,'^  she  murmured ;  though  it 
was  still  some  little  time,  I  thought,  before  her  mind  revert- 
ed to  her  own  situation.  The  welfare  of  two  as  much  be- 
loved as  Lucy  and  myself,  could  not  be  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence to  one  of  Grace's  disposition,  even  in  the  hour  of  death. 

Mr.  Hardinge  now  knelt,  and  the  next  quarter  of  an  hour 
passed  in  prayer.  When  the  divine  rose  from  his  knees, 
Grace,  her  countenance  beaming  with  an  angelic  serenity, 
gave  him  her  hand,  and  in  a  clear,  distinct  voice,  she  uttered 
a  prayer  for  blessings,  connecting  her  petitions  with  the 
gratitude  due  him,  for  his  care  of  us  orphans.  I  never  saw 
the  old  man  so  much  touched  before.  This  unexpected  ben- 
ediction, for  it  had  that  character,  coming  from  youth  to  age 
quite  unmanned  him.  'The  old  man  sunk  into  a  chair, 
weeping  uncontrollably.     This  aroused  Lucy,  who  regarded 


I20  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

the  gray  hairs  of  her  father  with  awe,  as  she  witnessed  the 
strength  of  his  emotions.  But  feelings  of  this  nature  could 
not  long  absorb  a  man  like  Mr.  Hardinge,  who  soon  re- 
gained as  much  of  the  appearance  of  composure  as  it  was 
possible  to  maintain  by  such  a  death-bed. 

"Many  may  think  me  young  to  die,"  Grace  observed; 
"  but  I  am  weary  of  the  world.  It  is  my  wish  to  submit  my- 
self to  the  will  of  God;  but,  blessed  be  his  holy  name,  that 
he  sees  fit  to  call  me  to  him  this  day.  Lucy,  beloved  one 
— go  into  the  next  room,  and  draw  the  curtain  asunder;  I 
shall  then  be  enabled  to  gaze  on  the  fields  of  dear  Claw- 
bonny  once  more ;  that  will  be  my  last  look  at  the  outer 
world." 

This  leave-taking  of  inanimate  things,  objects  long 
known  and  loved,  is  of  frequent  occurrence  with  the  dying. 
It  is  not  in  our  natures  to  quit  forever  this  beautiful  world, 
without  casting  "one  longing,  lingering  look  behind."  The 
hand  of  its  divine  Creator  was  gloriously  impressed  on  the 
rural  loveliness  of  my  native  fields  that  day,  and  a  holy 
tranquillity  seemed  to  reign  over  the  grain,  the  orchards,  the 
meadows,  and  the  wooded  heights.  The  couch  of  Grace  was 
purposely  placed  at  a  point  in  her  own  chamber  that  com- 
manded a  wide  view  of  the  farm,  through  the  vista  formed 
by  the  door  and  windows  of  the  adjoining  room.  Here  she 
had  often  sat,  during  her  confinement  to  her  rooms,  contem- 
plating scenes  so  familiar  and  so  much  loved.  I  saw  her 
lips  quiver  as  she  now  gazed  on  them  for  the  last  time,  and 
was  convinced  some  unusual  sentiment,  connected  with  the 
past,  pressed  on  her  feelings  at  that  instant.  I  could  see 
the  same  view  myself,  and  perceived  that  her  eyes  were  riv- 
eted on  the  little  wood  where  Rupert  and  I  had  met  the  girls 
on  our  return  from  sea;  a  favorite  place  of  resort,  and  one 
that,  I  doubted  not,  had  often  been  the  witness  of  the  early 
confidence  between  Grace  and  her  recreant  lover.  Death 
was  actually  hovering  over  that  sainted  being  at  the  moment ; 
but  her  woman's  heart  was  not,  could  not,  be  insensible  to 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  121 

the  impressions  produced  by  such  a  sight.  In  vain  the 
warm  light  from  the  heavens  bathed  the  whole  landscape  in  a 
flood  of  glory;  in  vain  the  meadows  put  forth  their  flowers, 
the  woods  their  variegated,  bright,  American  verdure,  and 
the  birds  their  innocent  gayety  and  brilliant  plumage;  the 
fancy  of  Grace  was  portraying  scenes  that  had  once  been 
connected  with  the  engrossing  sentiment  of  her  life.  I  felt 
her  tremble,  as  she  lay  in  my  arms ;  and  bending  my  head 
towards  her  in  tender  concern,  I  could  just  distinguish  the 
murmuring  of  a  prayer  that  it  was  easy  to  understand  was  a 
petition  offered  up  in  behalf  of  Rupert.  This  done,  she 
asked,  herself,  to  have  the  curtain  drawn  again,  to  shut  out 
the  obtrusive  thought  forever. 

I  have  often  thought,  since  the  events  of  that  sad  day, 
that  Grace's  dissolution  was  hastened  by  this  accidental  re- 
currence of  her  mind  to  Rupert  and  his  forgotten  love.  I 
call  it  love,  though  I  question  if  a  being  so  thoroughly  sel- 
fish ever  truly  loved  any  one  but  himself;  perhaps  not  him- 
self, indeed,  in  a  way  to  entitle  the  feeling  to  so  respectable 
an  epithet.  Grace  certainly  drooped  the  faster  from  that 
unfortunate  moment.  It  is  true,  we  all  expected  her  death, 
thought  it  would  occur  that  day  even,  though  surprised  at 
the  suddenness  with  which  it  came  at  last;  but  we  did  not 
expect  it  within  an  hour. 

And  what  an  hour  was  that  which  succeeded !  Both  Mr. 
Hardinge  and  Lucy  passed  quite  half  of  it  on  their  knees, 
engaged  in  silent  prayer;  for  it  was  thought  petitions  uttered 
aloud  might  disturb  the  sick.  There  were  minutes  in  which 
the  stillness  of  the  tomb  already  reigned  among  us.  I  am 
not  enough  of  a  physician  to  say  whether  the  change  that 
now  came  over  my  sister's  mind  was  the  consequence  of  any 
shock  received  in  that  long,  intense  look  at  the  wood,  or 
whether  it  proceeded  from  the  sinking  of  the  system,  and 
was  connected  with  that  mysterious  link  which  binds  the 
immortal  part  of  our  being  so  closely  to  the  material,  until 
the  tie  is  loosened  forever.     It  is  certain,  however,  that 


122  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

Grace's  thoughts  wandered;  and,  while  they  never  lost  en- 
tirely their  leaning  towards  faith  and  a  bright  Christian 
hope,  they  became  tinctured  with  something  allied  to  child- 
ish simplicity,  if  not  absolutely  to  mental  weakness.  Nev- 
ertheless, there  was  a  moral  beauty  about  Grace,  that  no 
failing  of  the  faculties  could  ever  totally  eradicate. 

It  was  fully  half  an  hour  that  the  breathing  quiet  of 
prayer  lasted.  In  all  that  time  my  sister  scarcely  stirred, 
her  own  hands  being  clasped  together,  and  her  eyes  occa- 
sionally lifted  to  heaven.  At  length  she  seemed  to  revive 
a  little,  and  to  observe  external  objects.  In  the  end,  she 
spoke. 

"Lucy,  dearest,"  she  said,  "what  has  become  of  Rupert? 
Does  he  know  I  am  dying?  If  so,  why  does  he  not  come 
and  see  me,  for  the  last  time?  " 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  for  me  to  say  how  much  Lucy  and 
myself  were  startled  at  this  question.  The  former  buried 
her  face  in  her  hands  without  making  any  reply;  but  good 
Mr.  Hardinge,  altogether  unconscious  of  anything's  being 
wrong,  was  eager  to  exculpate  his  son. 

"  Rupert  has  been  sent  for,  my  dear  child,"  he  said,  "  and, 
though  he  is  engrossed  with  love  and  Miss  Merton,  he  will 
not  fail  to  hasten  hither  the  instant  he  receives  my  letter." 

"  Miss  Merton !  "  repeated  Grace,  pressing  both  her  hands 
on  her  temples — "  who  is  she  ?  I  do  not  remember  anybody 
of  that  name  ?  " 

We  now  understood  that  the  mind  of  the  dear  patient  was 
losing  its  powers;  of  course  no  efforts  were  made  to  give  a 
truer  direction  to  her  thoughts.  We  could  only  listen,  and 
weep.  Presently,  Grace  passed  an  arm  round  the  neck  of 
Lucy,  and  drew  her  towards  her,  with  a  childish  earnest- 
ness. 

"Lucy,  love,"  she  continued,  "we  will  persuade  these 
foolish  boys  from  this  notion  of  going  to  sea.  What  if 
Miles's  father,  and  Rupert's  great-grandfather  were  sailors; 
it  is  no  reason  they  should  be  sailors  too !  " 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  123 

She  paused,  appeared  to  meditate,  and  turned  towards  me. 
Her  head  was  still  inclining  on  my  bosom,  and  she  gazed 
upward  at  my  face;  as  fondly  as  she  did  in  that  tender  meet- 
ing we  held  just  after  my  return  home,  in  the  family  room. 
There  was  sufficient  strength  to  enable  her  to  raise  her  pallid 
hut  not  emaciated  hand  to  my  face,  even  while  she  passed 
it  over  my  cheeks,  once  more  parting  the  curls  on  my  tem- 
ples, and  playing  with  my  hair,  with  infantile  fondness. 

"Miles,"  the  dear  angel  whispered,  utterance  beginning 
to  fail  her,  "  do  you  remember  what  mother  told  us  about 
always  speaking  the  truth?  You  are  a  manly  boy,  brother, 
and  have  too  much  pride  to  say  anything  but  the  truth ;  I 
wish  Rupert  were  as  frank." 

This  was  the  first,  the  last,  the  only  intimation  I  had  ever 
heard  from  Grace,  of  her  being  conscious  of  any  defect  in 
Rupert's  character.  Would  to  God  she  had  seen  this  impor- 
tant deficiency  earlier !  though  this  is  wishing  a  child  to  pos- 
sess the  discernment  and  intelligence  of  a  woman.  The 
hand  was  still  on  my  cheek,  and  I  would  not  have  had  it  re- 
moved at  that  bitter  moment  to  have  been  well  assured  of 
Lucy's  love. 

"  See,"  my  sister  resumed,  though  she  now  spoke  merely 
in  a  whisper,  "  how  brown  his  cheek  is,  though  his  forehead 
is  white.  I  doubt  if  mother  would  know  him,  Lucy.  Is 
Rupert's  cheek  as  brown  as  this,  dear?  " 

"Rupert  has  not  been  as  much  exposed  of  late  as  Miles," 
Lucy  answered  huskily,  Grace's  arm  still  clinging  to  her 
neck. 

The  well-known  voice  appeared  to  awaken  a  new  train  of 
thought. 

"  Lucy,"  my  sister  asked,  "  are  you  as  fond  of  Miles  as 
we  both  used  to  be,  when  children  ?  " 

"  I  have  always  had,  and  shall  ever  retain,  a  deep  affec- 
tion for  Miles  Wallingford,"  Lucy  answered  steadily. 

Grace  now  turned  towards  me,  releasing  her  hold  of  Lucy's 
neck,  from  pure  inability  to  sustain  it ;  and  she  fastened  her 


124  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

serene  blue  eyes  on  my  countenance,  whence  they  never  de- 
viated while  she  breathed.  My  tears  were  uncontrollable, 
and  they  seemed  to  perplex  rather  than  distress  her.  Of  a 
sudden,  we  heard  her  voice  aloud,  speaking  gently,  but  with 
a  fervor  that  rendered  it  distinct.  The  words  she  uttered 
were  full  of  the  undying  affection  of  a  heart  that  never 
turned  away  from  me  for  a  single  instant;  no,  not  even  in 
the  petulance  of  childhood.  "Almighty  Father,"  she  said, 
"  look  down  from  thy  mercy  seat  on  this  dear  brother — keep 
him  for  thyself;  and,  in  thy  good  time,  call  him,  through 
the  Saviour's  love,  to  thy  mansions  of  bliss." 

These  were  the  last  words  that  Grace  Wallingford  ever 
spoke.  She  lived  ten  minutes  longer;  and  she  died  on  my 
bosom  like  the  infant  that  breathes  its  last  in  the  arms  of 
its  mother.  Her  lips  moved  several  times;  once  I  fancied 
I  caught  the  name  of  "  Lucy,"  though  I  have  reason  to  think 
she  prayed  for  us  all,  Rupert  included,  down  to  the  moment 
she  ceased  to  exist. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


There  have  been  sweet  singing  voices 

In  your  walks  that  now  are  still ; 
There  are  seats  left  void,  in  your  earthly  homes, 

Which  none  again  may  fill. 

Mrs.  Hemans. 

I  NEVER  saw  the  body  of  my  sister,  after  I  handed  it,  re- 
sembling a  sleeping  infant,  to  the  arms  of  Lucy.  There  is 
a  sort  of  mania  in  some,  a  morbid  curiosity,  to  gaze  on  the 
features  of  the  dead ;  but  with  me  it  has  ever  been  the  re- 
verse. I  had  been  taken  to  the  family  room  to  contemplate 
and  weep  over  the  faces  of  both  my  parents,  but  this  was  at 
an  age  when  it  became  me  to  be  passive.  I  was  now  at  a 
time  of  life  when  I  might  be  permitted  to  judge  for  myself; 
and,  as  soon  as  I  began  to  think  at  all  on  the  subject,  which 
was  not  for  some  hours,  however,  I  resolved  that  the  last 
look  of  love,  the  sweet  countenance — sinking  in  death,  it  is 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  12$ 

true,  but  still  animate  and  beaming  with  the  sentiments  of 
her  pure  heart — should  be  the  abiding  impression  of  my  sis- 
ter's form.  I  have  cherished  it  ever  since,  and  often  have  I 
rejoiced  that  I  did  not  permit  any  subsequent  images  of  a 
corpse  to  supplant  it.  As  respects  both  my  parents,  the 
images  left  on  my  mind,  for  years  and  years,  were  painful 
rather  than  pleasing. 

Grace's  body  was  no  sooner  out  of  my  arms,  I  had  scarcely 
imprinted  the  last  long  kiss  on  the  ivory-like  but  still 
warm  forehead,  than  I  left  the  house.  Clawbonny  had  no 
impertinent  eyes  to  drive  a  mourner  to  his  closet,  and  I  felt 
as  if  it  were  impossible  to  breathe  unless  I  could  obtain  the 
freedom  of  the  open  air.  As  I  crossed  the  little  lawn,  the 
wails  from  the  kitchens  reached  me.  Now  that  the  invalid 
could  no  longer  be  disturbed  by  their  lamentations,  the  un- 
sophisticated negroes  gave  vent  to  their  feelings  without  re- 
serve. I  heard  their  outcries  long  after  every  other  sound 
from  the  house  was  lost  on  my  ear. 

I  held  my  way  along  the  road,  with  no  other  view  but  to 
escape  from  the  scene  I  had  just  quitted,  and  entered  the 
very  little  wood  which  might  be  said  to  have  been  the  last 
object  of  the  external  world  that  had  attracted  my  sister's 
attention.  Here  everything  reminded  me  of  the  past;  of  the 
days  of  childhood  and  youth;  of  the  manner  in  which  the 
four  Clawbonny  children  had  lived  together  and  roamed 
these  very  thickets  in  confidence  and  love.  I  sat  in  that 
wood  an  hour;  a  strange,  unearthly  hour  it  seemed  to  me! 
I  saw  Grace's  angel  countenance  imprinted  on  the  leaves, 
heard  her  low,  but  gay,  laugh,  as  she  was  wont  to  let  it  be 
heard  in  the  hours  of  happiness,  and  the  tones  of  her  gentle 
voice  sounded  in  my  ears  almost  as  familiarly  as  in  life. 
Rupert  and  Lucy  were  there,  too.  I  saw  them,  heard  them, 
and  tried  to  enter  into  their  innocent  merriment,  as  1  had 
done  of  old;  but  fearful  glimpses  of  the  sad  truth  would  in- 
terpose in  time  to  br^k  the  charm.  When  I  left  that  little 
wood,  it  was  to  seek  a  larger  cover  and  fields  further  re- 


126  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

moved  from  the  house.  It  was  dark  before  I  thought  of  re- 
turning; all  that  time  was  passed  in  a  species  of  mystical 
hallucination,  in  which  the  mind  was  lost  in  scenes  foreign 
to  those  actually  present.  I  saw  Grace's  sweet  image 
everywhere ;  I  heard  her  voice  at  every  turn.  Now  she  was 
the  infant  I  was  permitted  to  drag  in  her  little  wagon,  the 
earliest  of  all  my  impressions  of  that  beloved  sister;  then, 
she  was  following  me  as  I  trundled  my  hoop ;  next  came  her 
little  lessons  in  morals,  and  warnings  against  doing  wrong, 
or  some  grave  but  gentle  reproof  for  errors  actually  commit- 
ted ;  after  which  I  saw  her  in  the  pride  of  youngs  womanhood, 
lovely  and  fitted  to  be  loved,  the  sharer  of  my  confidence, 
and  one  capable  of  entering  into  all  my  plans  of  life.  How 
often  that  day  did  the  murmuring  of  a  brook  or  the  hum- 
ming of  a  bee  become  blended  in  my  imagination  with  the 
song,  the  laugh,  the  call,  or  the  prayers  of  that  beloved  sis- 
ter whose  spirit  had  ascended  to  heaven,  and  who  was  no 
more  to  mingle  in  my  concerns  or  those  of  life! 

At  one  time  I  had  determined  to  pass  the  night  abroad 
and  commune  with  the  stars,  each  of  which  I  fancied,  in 
turn,  as  they  began  slowly  to  show  themselves  in  the  vault 
above,  might  be  the  abiding-place  of  the  departed  spirit.  If 
I  thought  so  much  and  so  intensely  of  Grace,  I  thought  also 
of  Lucy.  Nor  was  good  Mr.  Hardinge  entirely  forgotten. 
I  felt  for  their  uneasiness,  and  saw  it  was  my  duty  to  re- 
turn. 

Neb  and  two  or  three  others  of  the  blacks  had  been  look- 
ing for  me  in  all  directions  but  that  in  which  I  was;  and  I 
felt  a  melancholy  pleasure  as  I  occasionally  saw  these  sim- 
ple-minded creatures  meet  and  converse.  Their  gestures, 
their  earnestness,  their  tears,  for  I  could  see  that  they  were 
often  weeping,  indicated  alike  that  they  were  speaking  of 
their  '*  young  mistress  " ;  how  they  spoke,  I  wanted  no  other 
communications  to  understand. 

Ours  had  ever  been  a  family  of  love.  My  father,  manly, 
affectionate,  and  strongly  attached  to  my  mother,  was  admi- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  12/ 

rably  suited  to  sustain  that  dominion  of  the  heart  which  the 
last  had  established  from  her  earliest  days  at  Clawbonny. 
This  power  of  the  feelings  had  insensibly  extended  itself  to 
the  slaves,  who  seldom  failed  to  manifest  how  keenly  alive 
they  all  were  to  the  interests  and  happiness  of  their  owners. 
Among  the  negroes  there  was  but  one  who  was  considered 
as  fallen  below  his  proper  level,  or  who  was  regarded  as  an 
outcast.  This  was  an  old  fellow  who  bore  the  name  of  Vul- 
can, and  who  worked  as  a  blacksmith  on  the  skirts  of  the 
farm,  having  been  named  by  my  grandfather  with  the  express 
intention  of  placing  him  at  the  anvil.  This  fellow's  trade 
caused  him  to  pass  most  of  his  youth  in  an  adjacent  village, 
or  hamlet,  where  unfortunately  he  had  acquired  habits  that 
unsuited  him  to  live  as  those  around  him  were  accustomed 
to  live.  He  became  in  a  measure  alienated  from  us,  drink- 
ing, and  otherwise  living  a  life  that  brought  great  scandal 
on  his  sable  connections,  who  were  gathered  more  closely 
around  the  homestead.  Nevertheless,  a  death,  or  a  return 
home,  or  any  important  event  in  the  family,  was  sure  to 
bring  even  Vulcan  back  to  his  allegiance;  and,  for  a  month 
afterward,  he  would  be  a  reformed  man.  On  this  occasion 
he  was  one  of  those  who  were  out  in  the  fields  and  woods  in 
quest  of  me,  and  he  happened  to  be  the  very  individual  by 
whom  I  was  discovered. 

The  awe-struck,  solemn  manner  in  which  the  reckless 
Vulcan  approached,  were  all  other  proofs  wanting,  would 
have  proclaimed  the  weight  of  the  blow  that  had  fallen  on 
Clawbonny.  The  eyes  of  this  fellow  were  always  red,  but 
it  was  easy  to  see  that  even  he  had  been  shedding  tears. 
He  knew  he  was  no  favorite;  seldom  came  near  me,  unless 
it  were  to  excuse  some  of  his  neglects  or  faults,  and  lived 
under  a  vsort  of  ban  for  his  constantly  recurring  misdeeds. 
Nevertheless,  a  common  cause  of  grief  now  gave  him  confi- 
dence, and  Neb  himself  could  hardly  have  approached  me 
with  a  manner  of  more  egsy,  but  respectful,  familiarity. 

"  Ah !  Masser  Mile  I  Masser  Mile !  "  Vulcan  exclaimed, 


128  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

certain  that  we  felt  alike  on  this  topic,  if  on  no  other;  "  poor 
young  missus!  when  we  ebber  get  'noder  like  sheV^ 

"  My  sister  is  in  heaven,  Vulcan,  where  I  hope  all  at 
Clawbonny,  blacks  as  well  as  whites,  will  endeavor  to  meet 
her,  by  living  in  a  manner  that  will  improve  the  mercy  of 
God." 

"You  t'ink  ^-aX posserbul^  Masser  Mile?"  demanded  the 
old  man,  fixing  his  dull  eyes  on  me,  with  an  earnest  intent- 
ness  that  proved  he  had  not  entirely  lost  all  sensibility  to 
his  moral  condition. 

"All  things  are  possible  with  God,  Vulcan.  Keeping 
him  and  his  commandments  constantly  in  mind,  you  may 
still  hope  to  see  your  young  mistress,  and  to  share  in  her 
happiness." 

"  Wonnerful!  "  exclaimed  the  old  man;  "dat  would  be  a 
great  conserlation.  Ah!  Masser  Mile  how  often  she  come 
when  a  little  lady  to  my  shop  door,  and  ask  to  see  'e  spark 
fly!  Miss  Grace  hab  a  great  taste  for  blacksmit'in',  and  a 
great  knowledge  too.  I  do  t'ink,  dat  next  to  some  oder 
t'ing,  she  lub  to  see  iron  red-hot,  and  'e  horse  shod !  " 

"  You  have  come  to  look  for  me,  Vulcan,  and  I  thank  you 
for  this  care.  I  shall  return  to  the  house  presently ;  you  need 
give  yourself  no  further  trouble.  Remember,  old  man,  that 
the  only  hope  that  remains  of  either  of  us  ever  seeing  Miss 
Grace  again  is  in  living  as  Mr.  Hardinge  so  often  tells  us 
all  we  ought  to  live." 

"Wonnerful!"  repeated  old  Vulcan,  whose  mind  and 
feelings  were  in  a  happy  condition  to  receive  such  a  lesson. 
"Yes,  sah^  Masser  Mile;  she  come  to  my  shop  to  see  'e 
spark  fly;  I  shall  miss  her  like  a  darter." 

This  was  a  specimen  of  the  feelings  that  prevailed  among 
the  negroes,  though  the  impression  on  most  of  the  others 
was  more  lasting  than  that  made  on  the  blacksmith,  whom 
I  now  dismissed,  taking  the  path  myself  that  led  to  the 
house.  It  was  quite  dark  when  I  crossed  the  lawn.  A 
6gure  was  just  visible  in  the  shadows  of  the  piazza,  and  I 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  129 

was  on  the  point  of  turning  in  the  direction  of  a  side  door, 
in  order  to  avoid  the  meeting,  when  Lucy  advanced  eagerly 
to  the  edge  of  the  steps  to  receive  me. 

"Oh!  Miles — dear  Miles,  how  happy  I  am  to  see  you 
again!"  the  precious  girl  said,  taking  my  hand  with  the 
warmth  and  frankness  of  a  sister.  ^'  My  father  and  myself 
have  been  very  uneasy  about  you;  my  father,  indeed,  has 
walked  towards  the  rectory,  thinking  you  may  have  gone 
thither.'* 

"  I  have  been  with  you,  and  Grace,  and  your  father,  my  good 
Lucy,  ever  since  we  parted.  I  am  more  myself  now,  how- 
ever, and  you  need  feel  no  further  concern  on  my  account. 
I  thank  you  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  for  that  which  you 
have  already  felt,  and  will  give  you  no  further  concern." 

The  manner  in  which  Lucy  now  burst  into  tears  betrayed 
the  intensity  of  the  feelings  that  had  been  pent  up  in  her 
bosom,  and  the  relief  she  found  in  my  assurances.  She  did 
not  scruple,  even,  about  leaning  on  my  shoulder,  so  long  as 
the  paroxysm  lasted.  As  soon  as  able  to  command  herself, 
however,  she  wiped  her  eyes,  again  took  my  hand  with  con- 
fiding affection,  looked  anxiously  towards  me  as  she  said, 
soothingly : 

"We  have  met  with  a  great  loss.  Miles;  one  that  even 
time  cannot  repair.  Neither  of  us  can  ever  find  another  to 
fill  the  place  that  Grace  has  occupied.  Our  lives  cannot 
be  lived  over  again;  we  cannot  return  to  childhood;  feel  as 
children;  love  as  children;  live  as  children;  and  grow  up 
together,  as  it  might  be,  with  one  heart,  with  the  same  views, 
the  same  wishes,  the  same  opinion.  I  hope  it  is  not  presum- 
ing on  too  great  a  resemblance  to  the  departed  angel,  if  I 
add,  the  same  principle." 

"  No,  Lucy ;  the  past,  for  us,  is  gone  forever.  Clawbonny 
will  never  again  be  the  Clawbonny  it  was." 

There  was  a  pause,  during  which  I  fancied  Lucy  was 
struggling  to  repress  some  fresh  burst  of  emotion. 

"  Yet,  Miles,"  she  presently  resumed,  "  we  could  not  asJp 

y 


130  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

to  have  her  recalled  from  that  bliss  which  we  have  so  much 
reason  to  believe  she  is  even  now  enjoying.  In  a  short 
time  Grace  will  be  to  you  and  me  a  lovely  and  grateful 
image  of  goodness  and  virtue  and  affection ;  and  we  shall 
have  a  saddened,  perhaps,  but  a  deep-felt  pleasure  in  re- 
membering how  much  we  enjoyed  of  her  affection,  and  how 
closely  she  was  united  to  us  both  in  life." 

"That  will  be  indeed  a  link  between  us  two,  Lucy,  that  I 
trust  may  withstand  all  the  changes  and  withering  selfish- 
ness of  the  world !  " 

"  I  hope  it  may.  Miles,"  Lucy  answered  in  a  low  voice, 
and,  as  I  fancied  at  the  moment,  with  an  embarrassment 
that  I  did  not  fail  to  attribute  to  the  consciousness  she  felt 
of  Andrew  Drewett's  claims  on  all  such  intimate  association 
of  feeling.  "  We,  who  have  known  each  other  from  children, 
can  scarcely  want  causes  for  continuing  to  esteem  and  to 
regard  each  other  with  affection." 

Lucy  now  appeared  to  think  she  might  leave  me  to  my- 
self, and  she  led  the  way  into  the  house.  I  did  not  see  her 
again  until  Mr.  Hardinge  caused  the  whole  household  to  be 
assembled  at  evening  prayers.  The  meeting  of  the  family 
that  night  was  solemn  and  mournful.  For  myself,  I  fancied 
that  the  spirit  of  Grace  was  hovering  around  us;  more  than 
once  did  I  fancy  that  I  heard  her  sweet  voice  mingling  in 
the  petitions,  or  leading  the  service,  as  was  her  practice  on 
those  occasions  when  our  good  guardian  could  not  attend. 
I  observed  all  the  negroes  looking  at  me  with  solicitude, 
like  those  who  recognized  my  right  to  feel  the  blow  the 
deepest.  It  was  a  touching  evidence  of  respectful  interest 
that  each  man  bowed  to  me  reverently,  and  each  woman 
curtsied,  as  he  or  she  left  the  room.  As  for  Chloe,  sobs 
nearly  choked  her,  the  poor  girl  having  refused  to  quit  the 
body  of  her  mistress  except  for  that  short  moment.  I 
thought  Lucy  would  have  remained  with  her  father  and  my- 
self for  a  few  minutes,  but  for  the  necessity  of  removing  this 
poor  heart-stricken  creature,  who  really  felt  as  if  the  death 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I3I 

of  her  young  mistress  was  a  loss  of  part  of  her  own  exist- 
ence. 

I  have  already  dwelt  on  the  circumstances  attending  the 
death  of  Grace  longer  than  I  intended,  and  shall  now  cease 
to  harass  my  own  feelings,  or  to  distress  those  of  my  read- 
ers, by  unnecessarily  enlarging  on  more  of  the  details.  The 
next  three  or  four  days  produced  the  usual  calm ;  and  though 
it  was  literally  years  ere  Lucy  or  myself  ceased  altogether 
to  weep  for  her  loss,  we  both  obtained  the  self-command 
that  was  necessary  for  the  discharge  of  our  ordinary  duties. 
Grace,  it  will  be  remembered,  died  of  a  Sunday,  about  the 
usual  hour  for  dinner.  Agreeably  to  the  custom  of  the 
country,  in  which  there  is  usually  a  little  too  much  of  an 
indecent  haste  in  disposing  of  the  dead,  owing  in  some 
degree  to  climate,  however,  the  funeral  would  have  taken 
place  on  Wednesday,  and  that  would  have  been  delaying 
twenty-four  hours  longer  than  might  have  been  granted  in 
most  cases;  but  Mr.  Hardinge,  who  gave  all  the  directions, 
had  named  Thursday  noon  as  the  hour  for  the  interment. 
We  had  few  relatives  to  expect;  most  of  those  who  would 
have  been  likely  to  attend,  had  circumstances  admitted  of  it, 
living  in  distant  places  that  rendered  it  inconvenient,  and 
indeed  scarcely  possible, 

I  passed  most  of  the  intervening  time  in  my  study,  reading 
and  indulging  in  such  contemplations  as  naturally  suggest 
themselves  to  the  mourner.  Lucy,  dear  girl,  had  written  me 
two  or  three  short  notes,  asking  my  wishes  on  various  points — 
among  other  things,  when  I  wished  to  pay  a  last  visit  to  the 
body.  My  answer  to  this  question  brought  her  to  my  room, 
with  some  little  surprise  of  manner;  for  she  had  been  so 
much  with  Grace,  living  and  dead,  as  to  think  it  strange 
one  who  had  loved  her  so  well  while  living  should  not  de- 
sire to  take  a  final  look  at  the  beautiful  remains.  I  ex- 
plained my  feelings  on  this  head,  and  Lucy  seemed  struck 
with  them.  • 

**  I  am  not  sure  you  will  not  have  decided  wisely.  Miles," 


132  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

she  said,  "the  picture  being  one  too  precious  to  destroy. 
You  will  be  gratified  in  knowing,  however,  that  Grace  re- 
sembles an  angel  quite  as  much  in  death  as  she  did  in 
life;  all  who  have  seen  her  being  struck  with  the  air  of 
peaceful  tranquillity  her  features  now  present." 

"  Bless  you,  bless  you,  Lucy,  this  is  all-sufficient.  I  did 
wish  for  some  such  assurance,  and  am  now  content." 

"  Several  of  your  family  are  in  the  house,  Miles,  in  readi- 
ness to  attend  the  funeral.  A  stranger  has  just  arrived  who 
seems  to  have  some  such  desire,  too,  though  his  face  is  un- 
known to  all  at  the  place;  he  has  asked  to  see  you  with  an 
earnestness  that  my  father  scarce  knows  how  to  refuse." 

"  Let  him  come  here,  then,  Lucy.  I  can  only  suppose  it 
to  be  some  one  of  the  many  persons  Grace  has  served;  her 
short  life  was  all  activity  in  that  particular." 

Lucy's  face  did  not  corroborate  that  notion;  but  she  with- 
drew to  let  my  decision  be  known.  In  a  few  minutes  a 
large,  hard-featured,  but  not  ill-looking  man  approaching 
fifty  entered  my  room,  walked  up  to  me  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  squeezed  my  hand  warmly,  and  then  seated  himself 
without  ceremony.  He  was  attired  like  a  thriving  country- 
man, though  his  language,  accent,  and  manner  denoted  one 
superior  to  the  ordinary  run  of  those  with  whom  he  was 
otherwise  associated  in  externals.  I  had  to  look  at  him  a 
second  time  ere  I  could  recognize  Jack  Wallingford,  my 
father's  bachelor  cousin,  the  western  landholder. 

"  I  see  by  your  look,  cousin  Miles,  that  you  only  half  re- 
member me,"  my  visitor  remarked ;  "  I  deeply  regret  that  I 
am  obliged  to  renew  our  acquaintance  on  so  melancholy  an 
occasion." 

"There  are  so  few  of  us  left,  Mr.  Wallingford,  that  this 
kindness  will  be  doubly  appreciated,"  I  answered.  "  If  I 
did  not  give  orders  to  have  you  apprised  of  the  loss  we  have 
all  sustained,  it  is  because  your  residence  is  so  far  from 
Clawbonny  as  to  render  it  improbable  you  could  have  re- 
ceived the  intelligence  in  time  to  attend  the  solemn  cere- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  133 

mony  that  remains  to  be  performed.  I  did  intend  to  write 
to  you,  when  a  little  better  fitted  to  perform  such  a  duty." 

"I  thank  you,  cousin.  The  blood  and  name  of  Walling- 
ford  are  very  near  and  dear  to  me,  and  Clawbonny  has 
always  seemed  a  sort  of  home." 

"The  dear  creature  who  now  lies  dead  under  its  roof, 
cousin  John,  so  considered  you;  and  you  may  be  pleased  to 
know  that  she  wished  me  to  leave  you  this  property  in  my 
will  the  last  time  I  went  to  sea,  as  of  the  direct  line,  a 
Wallingford  being  the  proper  owner  of  Clawbonny.  In  that 
particular,  she  preferred  your  claims  to  her  own." 

"  Ay,  this  agrees  with  all  I  ever  heard  of  the  angel,"  an- 
swered John  Wallingford,  dashing  a  tear  from  his  eyes,  a 
circumstance  that  gave  one  a  favorable  opinion  of  his  heart. 
"  Of  course  you  refused,  and  left  the  property  to  herself,  who 
had  a  better  right  to  it." 

"I  did,  sir;  though  she  threatened  to  transfer  it  to  you 
the  moment  it  became  hers." 

"  A  threat  she  would  have  found  it  difficult  to  execute,  as 
I  certainly  would  have  refused  to  receive  it.  We  are  half 
savages,  no  doubt,  out  west  of  the  bridge ;  but  our  lands  are 
beginning  to  tell  in  the  markets,  and  we  count  already  some 
rich  men  among  us." 

This  was  said  with  a  self-satisfied  manner  that  my  cousin 
was  a  little  too  apt  to  assume  when  property  became  the 
subject  of  conversation.  I  had  occasion  several  times  that 
day,  even,  to  remark  that  he  attached  a  high  value  to  money; 
though,  at  the  same  time,  it  struck  me  that  most  of  his  no- 
tions were  just  and  honorable.  He  quite  worked  his  way 
into  my  favor,  however,  by  the  respect  he  manifested  for 
Clawbonny  and  all  that  belonged  to  it.  So  deep  was  this 
veneration  that  I  began  to  think  of  the  necessity  of  making 
a  new  will,  in  order  to  bequeath  him  the  place  in  the  event 
of  my  dying  without  heirs,  as  I  now  imagined  must  sooner 
or  later  occur.  As  Luc)i  was  not  likely  to  be  my  wife,  no 
one  else,  I  fancied,  ever  should  be.     I  had  nearer  relations 


134  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

than  Jack  Wallingford,  some  of  whom  were  then  in  the 
house ;  cousins-german  by  both  father  and  mother ;  but  they 
were  not  of  the  direct  line;  and  I  knew  that  Miles  the  First 
would  have  made  this  disposition  of  the  place,  could  he  have 
foreseen  events,  and  had  the  law  allowed  it.  Then  Grace 
had  wished  such  an  arrangement,  and  I  had  a  sad  happiness 
in  executing  all  the  known  wishes  of  my  sister. 

The  funeral  did  not  occur  until  the  day  after  the  arrival 
of  John  Wallingford,  who  accidentally  heard  of  the  death 
that  had  occurred  in  the  family,  and  came  uninvited  to  at- 
tend the  obsequies,  as  has  been  mentioned.  I  passed  most 
of  the  evening  in  the  company  of  this  relative,  with  whom 
I  became  so  much  pleased  as  to  request  he  would  walk  with 
me  next  day  as  second  nearest  of  kin.  This  arrangement, 
as  I  had  reason  to  know  in  the  end,  gave  great  offence  to 
several  who  stood  one  degree  nearer  in  blood  to  the  de- 
ceased, though  not  of  her  name.  Thus  are  we  constituted ! — 
we  will  quarrel  over  a  grave,  even,  a  moment  that  should  lay 
eternity  to  our  view,  with  all  its  immense  consequences  and 
accompaniments,  in  order  to  vindicate  feelings  and  passions 
that  can  only  interest  us,  as  it  might  be,  for  a  day.  Fortu- 
nately I  knew  nothing  of  the  offence  that  was  taken  at  the 
time,  nor  did  I  see  any  of  my  kinsmen  but  John  Walling- 
ford that  evening;  his  presence  in  my  room  being  owing 
altogether  to  a  certain  self-possession  and  an  aplomb  that 
caused  him  to  do  very  much  as  he  pleased  in  such  matters. 

I  rose  on  the  following  morning  at  a  late  hour,  and  with  a 
heaviness  at  the  heart  that  was  natural  to  the  occasion.  It 
was  a  lovely  summer's  day,  but  all  in  and  around  Claw- 
bonny  wore  the  air  of  a  Sunday.  The  procession  was  to 
form  at  ten  o'clock,  and  as  I  cast  my  eyes  from  my  window 
I  could  see  the  negroes  moving  about  on  the  lawns  and  in 
the  lanes,  attired  in  their  best  but  wearing  no  holiday  faces. 
It  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  species  of  unnatural  Sabbath,  pos- 
sessing all  its  solemnity,  its  holy  stillness,  its  breathing 
calm,  but  wanting  in  that  solacing  spirit  of  peace  which  is 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  135 

SO  apt  to  oe  imparted  to  the  day  of  rest  in  the  country,  most 
particularly  at  that  season  of  the  year.  Several  of  the 
neighbors  who  did  not  belong  to  Clawbonny  were  beginning 
to  appear;  and  I  felt  the  necessity  of  dressing  in  order  to 
be  in  readiness  for  what  was  to  follow. 

I  had  eaten  alone  in  my  little  study  or  library  from  the 
time  my  sister  died,  and  had  seen  no  one  since  my  return  to 
the  house,  the  servants  excepted,  besides  my  guardian,  Lucy, 
and  John  Wallingford.  The  last  had  taken  a  light  supper 
with  me  the  previous  night,  but  he  was  then  breakfasting 
with  the  rest  of  the  guests  in  the  family  eating-room,  Mr. 
Hardinge  doing  the  honors  of  the  house. 

As  for  myself,  I  found  my  own  little  table  prepared  with 
its  coffee  and  light  meal,  as  I  had  ordered  before  retiring. 
I  had  two  cups,  however,  and  a  second  plate  had  been  laid 
in  addition  to  my  own.  I  pointed  to  this  arrangement,  and 
demanded  of  the  old  white-headed  house-servant,  who  was  in 
waiting,  what  it  meant. 

"Miss  Lucy,  sah;  she  say  she  mean  to  breakfast  wid 
Masser  Mile,  dis  mornin',  sah." 

Even  the  accents  of  this  negro  were  solemn  and  sad  as  he 
made  this  familiar  explanation,  like  those  of  a  man  who  was 
conscious  of  having  reached  an  hour  and  an  occasion  that 
called  for  peculiar  awe.  I  bade  him  let  Miss  Lucy  know 
that  I  was  in  the  study. 

"  Ah,  Masser  Mile,"  added  the  old  man,  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,  as  he  left  the  room,  "  Miss  Lucy  *e  only  young  missus 
now,  sah ! " 

In  a  few  minutes  Lucy  joined  me.  She  was  in  deep 
black,  of  course,  and  that  may  have  added  to  the  appear- 
ance of  paleness,  but  no  one  could  be  deceived  in  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  dear  girl  had  mourned  and  wept  since  we 
parted.  The  subdued  expression  of  her  face  gave  it  a  pecul- 
iar sweetness,  and  in  spite  of  the  absence  of  color,  I 
thought,  as  Lucy  advanced  towards  me,  both  hands  extended, 
and  a  smile  of  anxious  inquiry  on  her  lips,  that  she  had 


136  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

never  appeared  more  lovely.  I  did  not  hesitate  about  press- 
ing those  hands  with  fervor,  and  of  kissing  the  warm  though 
colorless  cheek.  All  this  passed  as  it  might  have  done  be- 
tween an  affectionate  brother  and  sister,  neither  of  us  think- 
ing, I  am  persuaded,  of  aught  but  the  confidence  and  friend- 
ship of  childhood. 

"  This  is  kind  of  you,  dear  Lucy,"  I  said,  as  we  took  our 
seats  at  the  little  table;  "my  cousin  John  Wallingford, 
though  a  good  man  in  the  main,  is  scarcely  near  enough,  or 
dear  enough,  to  be  admitted  at  a  time  like  this." 

"I  have  seen  him,"  Lucy  replied,  the  tremor  in  her  voice 
showing  how  hard  she  found  it  to  avoid  melting  in  tears, 
"and  rather  like  him.  I  believe  he  was  a  favorite  of  mam- 
ma Wallingford " — so  Lucy  was  accustomed  to  call  my 
mother — "  and  that  ought  to  be  a  high  recommendation  with 
us,  Miles." 

"  I  am  disposed  to  like  him,  and  shall  endeavor  to  keep 
up  more  intercourse  with  him  than  I  have  hitherto  done. 
It  is  as  we  begin  to  find  ourselves  alone  in  the  world,  Lucy, 
that  we  first  feel  the  necessity  of  counting  blood  and  kin, 
and  of  looking  around  us  for  support." 

"  Alone  you  are  not,  Miles,  and  never  can  bewhile  I  and  my 
dear  father  live.  We  are  certainly  nearer  to  you  than  any  that 
now  remain  among  your  blood  relatives!  You  can  neither 
suffer  nor  be  happy  without  our  partaking  in  the  feelings." 

This  was  not  said  without  an  effort — that  much  I  could 
detect;  yet  it  was  said  firmly,  and  in  a  way  that  left  no 
doubt  of  its  entire  sincerity.  I  even  wished  there  had  been 
less  of  nature  and  more  of  hesitation  in  the  dear  girl's  man- 
ner while  she  was  endeavoring  to  assure  me  of  the  sympathy 
she  felt  in  my  happiness  or  unhappiness.  But  the  wayward- 
ness of  a  passion  as  tormenting,  and  yet  as  delightful  as 
love,  seldom  leaves  us  just  or  reasonable. 

Lucy  and  I  then  talked  of  the  approaching  ceremony. 
Each  of  us  was  grave  and  sorrowful,  but  neither  indulged  in 
any  outward  signs  of  grief.     We  knew  the  last  sad  offices 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  137 

were  to  be  performed,  and  had  braced  ourselves  to  the  dis- 
charge of  this  melancholy  duty.  It  was  not  customary  with 
the  females  of  purely  New  York  families  of  the  class  of  the 
Hardinges  to  be  present  at  the  performance  of  the  funeral 
rites;  but  Lucy  told  me  she  intended  to  be  in  the  little 
church,  and  to  share  in  as  much  of  the  religious  offices  as 
were  performed  within  the  building.  In  a  population  as 
mixed  as  ours  has  become,  it  is  not  easy  to  say  what  is  and 
what  is  not  now  a  national  or  state  usage,  on  such  an  occa- 
sion ;  but  I  knew  this  was  going  farther  than  was  usual  for 
one  of  Lucy's  habits  and  opinions,  and  I  expressed  a  little 
surprise  at  her  determination. 

"Were  it  any  other  funeral,  I  would  not  be  present, 
Miles,''  she  said,  the  tremor  of  her  voice  sensibly  increasing; 
"  but  I  cannot  divest  myself  of  the  idea  that  the  spirit  of 
Grace  will  be  hovering  near;  that  the  presence  of  her  more 
than  sister  will  be  acceptable.  Whatever  the  providence  of 
God  may  have  ordered  for  the  dear  departed,  I  know  it  will 
be  grateful  to  myself  to  join  in  the  prayers  of  the  church — 
besides,  I  am  not  altogether  without  the  womanly  feeling  of 
wishing  to  watch  over  the  form  of  Grace  while  it  remains 
above  ground.  And  now,  Miles,  brother,  friend,  Grace's 
brother,  or  by  whatever  endearing  term  I  may  address  you," 
added  Lucy,  rising,  coming  to  my  side  of  the  table,  and 
taking  my  hand,  "  I  have  one  thing  to  say  that  I  alone  can 
say,  for  it  would  never  suggest  itself  as  necessary  to  my 
dear  father." 

I  looked  earnestly  at  Lucy's  sweet  countenance,  and  saw 
it  was  full  of  concern — I  had  almost  said  of  alarm. 

"  I  believe  I  understand  you,  Lucy,"  I  answered,  though  a 
sensation  at  the  throat  nearly  choked  me ;    "  Rupert  is  here  ?  " 

"He  is,  Miles;  I  implore  you  to  remember  what  would 
be  the  wishes  of  her  who  is  now  a  saint  in  heaven — what 
her  entreaties,  her  tears  would  implore  of  you,  had  not  God 
placed  a  barrier  between  us." 

"  I  understand  you,  Lucy,"  was  the  husky  reply ;  "I  do 


138  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

remember  all  you  wish,  though  that  recollection  is  unneces- 
sary. I  would  rather  not  see  him ;  but  never  can  I  forget 
that  he  is  your  brother !  " 

"You  will  see  as  little  of  him  as  possible,  Miles — bless 
you,  bless  you,  for  this  forbearance !  " 

I  felt  Lucy's  hasty  but  warm  kiss  on  my  forehead  as  she 
quitted  the  room.  It  seemed  to  me  a  seal  of  a  compact  be- 
tween us  that  was  far  too  sacred  ever  to  allow  me  to  dream 
of  violating  it. 

I  pass  over  the  details  of  the  funeral  procession.  This 
last  was  ordered  as  is  usual  in  the  country,  the  friends  fol- 
lowing the  body  in  vehicles  or  on  horseback,  according  to 
circumstances.  John  Wallingford  went  with  me  agreeably 
to  my  own  arrangement,  and  the  rest  took  their  places  in 
the  order  of  consanguinity  and  age.  I  did  not  see  Rupert 
in  the  procession  at  all,  though  I  saw  little  besides  the 
hearse  that  bore  the  body  of  my  only  sister.  When  we 
reached  the  churchyard,  the  blacks  of  the  family  pressed 
forward  to  bear  the  coffin  into  the  building.  Mr.  Hardinge 
met  us  there,  and  then  commenced  those  beautiful  and 
solemn  rites  which  seldom  fail  to  touch  the  hardest  heart. 
The  rector  of  St.  Michael's  had  the  great  excellence  of  read- 
ing all  the  offices  of  the  church  as  if  he  felt  them ;  and,  on 
this  occasion,  the  deepest  feelings  of  the  heart  seemed  to  be 
thrown  into  his  accents.  I  wondered  how  he  could  get  on ; 
but  Mr.  Hardinge  felt  himself  a  servant  of  the  altar,  stand- 
ing in  his  master's  house,  and  ready  to  submit  to  his  will. 
Under  such  circumstances,  it  was  not  a  trifle  that  could 
unman  him.  The  spirit  of  the  divine  communicated  itself 
to  me.  I  did  not  shed  a  tear  during  the  whole  of  the  cere- 
mony, but  felt  myself  sustained  by  the  thoughts  and  holy 
hopes  that  ceremony  was  adapted  to  inspire.  I  believe 
Lucy,  who  sat  in  a  far  corner  of  the  church,  was  sustained 
in  a  similar  manner;  for  I  heard  her  low,  sweet  voice  min- 
gling in  the  responses.  Lip  service!  Let  those  who  would 
substitute  their  own  crude  impulses  for  the  sublime  rites  of 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 39 

our  liturgy,  making  ill-digested  forms  the  supplanter  of  a 
ritual  carefully  and  devoutly  prepared,  listen  to  one  of  their 
own  semi-conversational  addresses  to  the  Almighty  over 
a  grave,  and  then  hearken  to  these  venerable  rites  and 
learn  humility.  Such  men  never  approach  sublimity,  or  the 
sacred  character  that  should  be  impressed  on  a  funeral  cere- 
mony, except  when  they  borrow  a  fragment  here  and  there 
from  the  very  ritual  they  affect  to  condemn.  In  their  eager- 
ness to  dissent,  they  have  been  guilty  of  the  weakness  of 
dissenting,  so  far  as  forms  are  concerned,  from  some  of  the 
loftiest,  most  comprehensive,  most  consolatory,  and  most 
instructive  passages  of  the  inspired  book! 

It  was  a  terrible  moment  when  the  first  clod  of  the  valley 
fell  on  my  sister's  coffin.  God  sustained  me  under  the 
shock!  I  neither  groaned  nor  wept.  When  Mr.  Hardinge 
returned  the  customary  thanks  to  those  who  had  assembled 
to  assist  me  "  in  burying  my  dead  out  of  my  sight,"  I  had 
even  sufficient  fortitude  to  bow  to  the  little  crowd,  and  to 
walk  steadily  away.  It  is  true  that  John  Wallingford  very 
kindly  took  my  arm  to  sustain  me,  but  I  was  not  conscious 
of  wanting  any  support.  I  heard  the  sobs  of  the  blacks  as 
they  crowded  around  the  grave,  which  the  men  among  them 
insisted  on  filling  with  their  own  hands,  as  if  "  Miss  Grace" 
could  only  rest  with  their  administration  to  her  wants;  and 
I  was  told  not  one  of  them  left  the  spot  until  the  place  had 
resumed  all  the  appearance  of  freshness  and  verdure  which 
it  possessed  before  the  spade  had  been  applied.  The  same 
roses,  removed  with  care,  were  restored  to  their  former  beds; 
and  it  would  not  have  been  easy  for  a  stranger  to  discover 
that  a  new-made  grave  lay  by  the  side  of  those  of  the  late 
Captain  Miles  Wallingford  and  his  much-respected  widow. 
Still  it  was  known  to  all  in  that  vicinity,  and  many  a  pil- 
grimage was  made  to  the  spot  within  the  next  fortnight,  the 
young  maidens  of  the  adjoining  farms  in  particular  coming 
to  visit  the  grave  of  Grace  Wallingford,  the  "  Lily  of  Claw- 
bonny,"  as  she  had  once  been  styled. 


I40  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

I  knew  that  we  must  part — no  power  could  save 

Thy  quiet  goodness  from  an  early  grave : 

Those  eyes  so  dull,  though  kind  each  glance  they  CMt» 

Looking  a  sister's  fondness  to  the  last ; 

Thy  lips  so  pale,  that  gently  pressM  my  cheek  ; 

Thy  voice— alas  !  thou  could'st  but  try  to  speak  ;— 

All  told  thy  doom  ;  I  felt  it  at  my  heart ; 

The  shaft  had  struck— I  knew  that  we  must  part. 

Spraguk. 

It  is  not  easy  to  describe  the  sensation  of  loss  that  came 
over  me  after  the  interment  of  my  sister.  It  is  then  we  com- 
pletely feel  the  privation  with  which  we  have  met.  The 
body  is  removed  from  out  of  our  sight;  the  places  that  knew 
them  shall  know  them  no  more ;  there  is  an  end  to  all  com- 
munion, even  by  the  agency  of  sight,  the  last  of  the  senses 
to  lose  its  hold  on  the  departed,  and  a  void  exists  in  the 
place  once  occupied.  I  felt  all  this  very  keenly  for  more 
than  a  month,  but  most  keenly  during  the  short  time  I  re- 
mained at  Clawbonny.  The  task  before  me,  however,  will 
not  allow  me  to  dwell  on  these  proofs  of  sorrow,  nor  do  I 
know  that  the  reader  could  derive  much  advantage  from 
their  exhibition. 

I  did  not  see  Rupert  at  the  funeral.  That  he  was  there 
I  knew,  but  either  he  himself,  or  Lucy  for  him,  had  man- 
aged so  well  as  not  to  obtrude  his  person  on  my  sight. 
John  Wallingford,  who  well  knew  my  external  or  visible 
relation  to  all  the  Hardinges,  thinking  to  do  me  a  pleasure, 
mentioned,  as  the  little  procession  returned  to  the  house, 
that  young  Mr.  Hardinge  had,  by  dint  of  great  activity, 
succeeded  in  reaching  Clawbonny  in  time  for  the  funeral. 
I  fancy  that  Lucy,  under  the  pretence  of  wishing  his  escort, 
contrived  to  keep  her  brother  at  the  rectory  during  the  time 
I  was  abroad. 

On  reaching  the  house,  I  saw  all  my  connections,  and 
thanked  them  in  person  for  this  proof  of  their  respect  for  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I4I 

deceased.  This  little  duty  performed,  all  but  John  Walling- 
ford  took  their  leave,  and  I  was  soon  left  in  the  place  alone 
with  my  bachelor  cousin.  What  a  house  it  was!  and  what 
a  house  it  continued  to  be  as  long  as  I  remained  at  Claw- 
bonny!  The  servants  moved  about  it  stealthily;  the  merry 
laugh  was  no  longer  heard  in  the  kitchen ;  even  the  heavy- 
footed  seemed  to  tread  on  air,  and  all  around  me  appeared 
to  be  afraid  of  disturbing  the  slumbers  of  the  dead.  Never 
before  nor  since  have  I  had  occasion  to  feel  how  completely 
a  negative  may  assume  an  affirmative  character,  and  become 
as  positive  as  if  it  had  a  real  existence.  I  thought  I  could 
see  as  well  as  feel  my  sister's  absence  from  the  scene  in 
which  she  had  once  been  so  conspicuous  an  actor. 

As  none  of  the  Hardinges  returned  to  dinner,  the  good 
divine  writing  a  note  to  say  he  would  see  me  in  the  evening 
after  my  connections  had  withdrawn,  John  Wallingford  and 
myself  took  that  meal  tete-h-Ute.  My  cousin,  with  the  ap- 
parent motive  of  diverting  my  thoughts  from  dwelling  on  the 
recent  scene,  began  to  converse  on  subjects  that  he  was  right 
in  supposing  might  interest  me.  Instead  of  flying  off  to 
some  topic  so  foreign  to  my  feelings  as  constantly  to  recall 
the  reason,  he  judiciously  connected  the  theme  with  my 
loss. 

"  I  suppose  you  will  go  to  sea  again,  as  soon  as  your  ship 
can  be  got  ready,  cousin  Miles,"  he  commenced,  after  we 
were  left  with  the  fruit  and  wine.  "These  are  stirring 
times  in  commerce,  and  the  idle  man  misses  golden  oppor- 
tunities." 

"  Gold  has  no  longer  any  charm  for  me,  cousin  John,"  I 
answered,  gloomily.  "  I  am  richer  now  than  is  necessary 
for  my  wants,  and,  as  I  shall  probably  never  marry,  I  see 
no  great  use  in  toiling  for  more.  Still,  I  shall  go  out  in  my 
own  ship,  and  that  as  soon  as  possible.  Here  I  would  not 
pass  the  summer  for  the  j)lace,  and  I  love  the  sea.  Yes, 
yes;  I  must  make  a  voyage  to  some  part  of  Europe  without 
delay.     It  is  the  wisest  thing  I  can  do." 


142  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"That  is  hearty,  and  like  a  man!  There  is  none  of  your 
mopes  about  the  Wallingfords,  and  I  believe  you  to  be  of 
the  true  stock.  But  why  never  marry,  Miles?  Your  father 
was  a  sailor,  and  he  married,  and  a  very  good  time  I've 
always  understood  he  had  of  it." 

"  My  father  was  happy  as  a  husband,  and  did  I  imitate 
his  example,  I  should  certainly  marry,  too.  Nevertheless, 
I  feel  I  am  to  be  a  bachelor." 

"In  that  case,  what  will  become  of  Clawbonny?"  de- 
manded Jack  Wallingford,  bluntly. 

I  could  not  avoid  smiling  at  the  question,  as  I  deemed 
him  my  heir,  though  the  law  would  give  it  to  nearer  rela- 
tives, who  were  not  of  the  name ;  but  it  is  probable  that 
John,  knowing  himself  to  be  so  much  my  senior,  had  never 
thought  of  himself  as  one  likely  to  outlive  me. 

"  I  shall  make  a  new  will  the  instant  I  get  to  town,  and 
leave  Clawbonny  to  you,"  I  answered  steadily  and  truly,  for 
such  a  thought  had  come  into  my  mind  the  instant  I  saw 
him.  "  You  are  the  person  best  entitled  to  inherit  it,  and 
should  you  survive  me,  yours  it  shall  be." 

"  Miles,  I  like  that,"  exclaimed  my  cousin,  with  a  strange 
sincerity,  stretching  out  a  hand  to  receive  mine,  which  he 
pressed  most  warmly.  "You  are  very  right;  I  ought  io  be 
the  heir  of  this  place,  should  you  die  without  children, 
even  though  you  left  a  widow." 

This  was  said  so  naturally,  and  was  so  much  in  conform- 
ity with  my  own  notions  on  the  subject,  that  it  did  not  so 
much  offend  as  surprise  me.  I  knew  John  Wallingford 
loved  money,  and,  all  men  having  a  very  respectful  attach- 
ment to  the  representative  of  value,  such  a  character  inva- 
riably means  that  the  party  named  suffers  that  attachment 
to  carry  him  too  far.  I  wished,  therefore,  my  kinsman  had 
not  made  just  such  a  speech;  though  it  in  no  manner  shook 
my  intentions  in  his  favor. 

"  You  are  more  ready  to  advise  your  friends  to  get  mar- 
ried than  to  set  the  example,"  I  answered,  willing  to  divert 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I43 

the  discourse  a  little.  "You,  who  must  be  turned  of  fifty, 
are  still  a  bachelor." 

"  And  so  shall  I  remain  through  life.  There  was  a  time 
I  might  have  married,  had  I  been  rich;  and  now  I  am  rea- 
sonably rich,  I  find  other  things  to  employ  my  affections. 
Still  that  is  no  reason  you  should  not  leave  me  Clawbonny, 
though  it  is  not  probable  I  shall  ever  live  to  inherit 
it.  Notwithstanding,  it  is  family  property,  and  ought  not  to 
go  out  of  the  name.  I  was  afraid,  if  you  were  lost  at  sea, 
or  should  die  of  any  of  those  outlandish  fevers  that  sailors 
sometimes  take,  the  place  would  get  into  females,  and  there 
would  no  longer  be  a  Wallingford  at  Clawbonny.  Miles,  I 
do  not  grudge  you  the  possession  of  the  property  the  least  in 
the  world;  but  it  would  make  me  very  unhappy  to  know 
one  of  those  Hazens,  or  Morgans,  or  Van-der-Schamps  had 
it." 

Jack  had  mentioned  the  names  of  the  children  of  so  many 
Miss  Wallingfords,  aunts  or  great-aunts  of  mine,  and 
cousins  of  his  own.  "  Some  of  them  may  be  nearer  to  you 
by  a  half  degree  or  so,  but  none  of  them  are  as  near  to 
Clawbonny.  It  is  Wallingford  land,  and  Wallingford  land 
it  ought  to  remain." 

I  was  amused  in  spite  of  myself,  and  felt  a  disposition 
now  to  push  the  discourse  further,  in  order  better  to  under- 
stand my  kinsman's  character. 

"  Should  neither  of  us  two  marry,"  I  said,  "  and  both  die 
bachelors,  what  would  then  be  the  fate  of  Clawbonny? " 

"  I  have  thought  of  all  that,  Miles,  and  here  is  my  answer. 
Should  such  a  thing  happen,  and  there  be  no  other  Walling- 
ford left,  then  no  Wallingford  would  live  to  have  his  feel- 
ings hurt  by  knowing  that  a  Vander-diinder-Schamp,  or 
whatever  these  Dutchmen  ought  to  be  called,  is  living  in 
his  father's  house,  and  no  harm  would  be  done.  But  there 
are  Wallingfords  besides  you  and  me." 

"This  is  quite  new;  for  I  had  supposed  we  two  were  the 
last." 


144  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"Not  SO.  Miles  the  First  left  two  sons;  our  ancestor, 
the  eldest,  and  one  younger,  who  removed  into  the  colony  of 
New  Jersey,  and  whose  descendants  still  exist.  The  sur- 
vivors of  us  two  might  go  there  in  quest  of  our  heir  in  the 
long  run.  But  do  not  forget  I  come  before  these  Jersey 
Blues,  let  them  be  who  or  what  they  may." 

I  assured  my  kinsman  he  should  come  before  them,  and 
changed  the  discourse,  for,  to  own  the  truth,  the  manner  in 
which  he  spoke  began  to  displease  me.  Making  my  apolo- 
gies, I  retired  to  my  own  room,  while  John  Wallingford 
went  out,  professedly  with  the  intention  of  riding  over  the 
place  of  his  ancestors,  with  a  view  to  give  it  a  more  critical 
examination  than  it  had  hitherto  been  in  his  power  to  do. 

It  was  quite  dark  when  I  heard  the  arrival  of  the  Har- 
dinges,  as  the  carriage  of  Lucy  drove  up  to  the  door.  In  a 
few  minutes  Mr.  Hardinge  entered  the  study.  He  first  in- 
quired after  my  health,  and  manifested  the  kind  interest 
he  had  ever  taken  in  my  feelings — after  which  he  pro- 
ceeded : 

"  Rupert  is  here,"  he  said,  "  and  I  have  brought  him  over 
to  see  you.  Both  he  and  Lucy  appeared  to  think  it  might 
be  well  not  to  disturb  you  to-night,  but  I  knew  you  better. 
Who  should  be  at  your  side  at  this  bitter  moment,  my  dear 
Miles,  if  it  be  not  Rupert,  your  old  friend  and  playmate; 
your  fellow-truant,  as  one  might  say,  and  almost  your 
brother?" 

Almost  my  brother!  Still  I  commanded  myself.  Grace 
had  received  my  solemn  assurances,  and  so  had  Lucy,  and 
Rupert  had  nothing  to  apprehend.  I  even  asked  to  see 
him,  desiring,  at  the  same  time,  that  it  might  be  alone.  I 
waited  several  minutes  for  Rupert's  appearance,  in  vain. 
At  length  the  door  of  my  room  opened,  and  Chloe  brought 
me  a  note.  It  was  from  Lucy,  and  contained  only  these 
words — "  Miles,  for  her  sake,  for  mine,  command  yourself." 
Dear  creature!  She  had  no  reason  to  be  alarmed.  The 
spirit  of  my  sister  seemed  to  me  to  be  present,  and  I  could 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  145 

recall  every  expression  of  her  angel  countenance  as  it  had 
passed  before  my  eyes  in  the  different  interviews  that  pre- 
ceded her  death. 

At  length  Rupert  appeared.  He  had  been  detained  by 
Lucy  until  certain  her  note  was  received,  when  she  per- 
mitted him  to  quit  her  side.  His  manner  was  full  of  the 
consciousness  of  undeserving,  and  its  humility  aided  my 
good  resolutions.  Had  he  advanced  to  take  my  hand ;  had 
he  attempted  consolation ;  had  he,  in  short,  behaved  differ- 
ently in  the  main  from  what  he  actually  did,  I  cannot  say 
what  might  have  been  the  consequences.  But  his  deport- 
ment, at  first,  was  quiet,  respectful,  distant  rather  than 
familiar,  and  he  had  the  tact,  or  grace,  or  caution,  not  to 
make  the  smallest  allusion  to  the  sad  occasion  which  had 
brought  him  to  Clawbonny.  When  I  asked  him  to  be 
seated  he  declined  the  chair  I  offered,  a  sign  he  intended 
the  visit  to  be  short.  I  was  not  sorry,  and  determined,  at 
once,  to  make  the  interview  as  much  one  of  business  as  pos- 
sible. I  had  a  sacred  duty  confided  to  me,  and  this  might 
be  as  fit  an  occasion  as  could  offer  in  which  to  acquit  my- 
self of  the  trust. 

"  I  am  glad  so  early  an  opportunity  has  offered,  Mr.  Har- 
dinge,"  I  said,  as  soon  as  the  opening  civilities  were  over, 
"  to  acquaint  you  with  an  affair  that  has  been  entrusted  to 
me  by  Grace,  and  which  I  am  anxious  to  dispose  of  as  soon 
as  possible." 

"By  Grace — by  Miss  Wallingford!  "  exclaimed  Rupert, 
actually  recoiling  a  step  in  surprise,  if  not  absolutely  in 
alarm — "  I  shall  feel  honored — that  is,  shall  have  a  melan- 
choly gratification  in  endeavoring  to  execute  any  of  her 
wishes.  No  person  commanded  more  of  my  respect,  Mr. 
Wallingford,  and  I  shall  always  consider  her  one  of  the 
most  amiable  and  admirable  women  with  whom  it  was  ever 
my  happy  fortune  to  be  acquainted." 

I  had  no  difficulty  now  in  commanding  myself,  for  it  was 
easy  to  see  Rupert  scarce  knew  what  he  said.     With  such  a 

lO 


146  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

man  I  saw  no  great  necessity  for  using  extraordinary  deli- 
cacy or  much  reserve. 

"You  are  doubtless  aware  of  two  things  in  our  family 
history,"  I  continued,  therefore,  without  circumlocution; 
"one  that  my  sister  would  have  been  mistress  of  a  small 
fortune,  had  she  reached  the  term  of  twenty-one  years,  and 
the  other  that  she  died  at  twenty." 

Rupert's  surprise  was  now  more  natural,  and  I  could  see 
that  his  interest — shame  on  our  propensities  for  it! — was 
very  natural,  too. 

"  I  am  aware  of  both,  and  deeply  deplore  the  last,"  he 
answered. 

"  Being  a  minor,  she  had  it  not  in  her  power  to  make  a 
will,  but  her  requests  are  legal  legacies  in  my  eyes,  and  I 
stand  pledged  to  her  to  see  them  executed.  She  has  left 
rather  less  than  $22,000  in  all;  with  $500  of  this  money  I 
am  to  present  Lucy  with  some  suitable  memorial  of  her  de- 
parted friend;  some  small  charitable  dispositions  are  also 
to  be  made,  and  the  balance,  or  the  round  sum  of  $20,000, 
is  to  be  given  to  you." 

"To  me,  Mr.  Wallingford! — Miles! — Did  you  really  say 
to  me?" 

"  To  you,  Mr.  Hardinge — such  is  my  sister's  earnest  re- 
quest— and  this  letter  will  declare  it,  as  from  herself.  I 
was  to  hand  you  this  letter,  when  acquainting  you  with 
the  bequest."  I  put  Grace's  letter  into  Rupert's  hand,  as 
I  concluded,  and  I  sat  down  to  write,  while  he  was  reading 
it.  Though  employed  at  a  desk  for  a  minute  or  two,  I  could 
not  avoid  glancing  at  Rupert,  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
effect  of  the  last  words  of  her  he  had  once  professed  to 
love.  I  would  wish  not  to  be  unjust  even  to  Rupert  Har- 
dinge. He  was  dreadfully  agitated,  and  he  walked  the 
room,  for  some  little  time,  without  speaking.  I  even  fancied 
I  overheard  a  half-s(ippressed  groan.  I  had  the  compassion 
to  affect  to  be  engaged,  in  order  to  allow  him  to  recover 
his  self-possession.     This  was  soon  done,  as  good  impres- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  14/ 

sions  were  not  lasting  in  Rupert;  and  I  knew  him  so  well, 
as  soon  to  read  in  his  countenance  gleamings  of  satisfac- 
tion at  the  prospect  of  being  master  of  so  large  a  sum.  At 
the  proper  moment,  I  arose  and  resumed  the  subject. 

"My  sister's  wishes  would  be  sacred  with  me,"  I  said, 
"  even  had  she  not  received  my  promise  to  see  them  exe- 
cuted. When  a  thing  of  this  character  is  to  be  done,  the 
sooner  it  is  done  the  better.  I  have  drawn  a  note  at  ten 
days,  payable  at  the  Bank  of  New  York,  and  in  your  favor, 
for  $20,000;  it  will  not  inconvenience  me  to  pay  it  when 
due,  and  that  will  close  the  transaction." 

"  I  am  not  certain,  Wallingford,  that  I  ought  to  receive 
so  large  a  sum — I  do  not  know  that  my  father  or  Lucy,  or, 
indeed,  the  world,  would  altogether  approve  of  it." 

"  Neither  your  father,  nor  Lucy,  nor  the  world  will  know 
anything  about  it,  sir,  unless  you  see  fit  to  acquaint  them. 
I  shall  not  speak  of  the  bequest;  and  I  confess  that,  on 
my  sister's  account,  I  should  prefer  that  you  would  not." 

"Well,  Mr.  Wallingford,"  answered  Rupert,  coolly  put- 
ting the  note  into  his  wallet,  "  I  will  think  of  this  request 
of  poor  Grace's,  and  if  I  can  possibly  comply  with  her 
wishes,  I  will  certainly  do  so.  There  is  little  that  she 
could  ask  that  I  would  deny,  and  my  effort  will  be  to  honor 
her  memory.  As  I  see  you  are  distressed,  I  will  now  retire; 
you  shall  know  my  determination  in  a  few  days." 

Rupert  did  retire,  taking  my  note  for  $20,000  with  him. 
I  made  no  effort  to  detain  him,  nor  was  I  sorry  to  hear  he 
had  returned  to  the  rectory  to  pass  the  night,  whither  his 
sister  went  with  him.  The  next  day  he  proceeded  to  New 
York,  without  sending  me  any  message,  retaining  the  note, 
however;  and  a  day  or  two  later  I  heard  of  him  on  his  way 
to  the  Springs  to  rejoin  the  party  of  the  Mertons. 

John  Wallingford  left  me  the  morning  of  the  day  after 
the  funeral,  promising  to  see  me  again  in  town.  "  Do  not 
forget  the  will.  Miles,"  said  that  singular  man,  as  he  shook 
my  hand,  "  and  be  certain  to  let  me  see  that  provision  in  it 


148  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

about  Clawbonny,  before  I  go  west  of  the  bridge  again. 
Between  relations  of  the  same  name  there  should  be  no  re- 
serves in  such  matters." 

I  scarce  knew  whether  to  smile  or  look  grave  at  so  strange 
a  request,  but  I  did  not  change  my  determination  on  the 
subject  of  the  will  itself,  feeling  that  justice  required  of 
me  such  a  disposition  of  the  property.  I  confess  there 
were  moments  when  I  distrusted  the  character  of  one  who 
could  urge  a  claim  of  this  nature  in  so  plain  a  manner,  and 
that,  too,  at  an  instant  when  the  contemplated  contingency 
seemed  the  more  probable  from  the  circumstance  that  death 
had  so  recently  been  among  us.  Notwithstanding  there 
was  so  much  frankness  in  my  kinsman's  manner,  he  ap- 
peared to  sympathize  so  sincerely  in  my  loss,  and  his  opin- 
ions were  so  similar  to  my  own,  that  these  unpleasant 
twinges  lasted  but  for  brief  intervals.  On  the  whole,  my 
opinion  was  very  favorable  to  John  Wallingford,  and,  as 
will  be  seen  in  the  sequel,  he  soon  obtained  my  entire  con- 
fidence. 

After  the  departure  of  all  my  kindred  I  felt,  indeed,  how 
completely  I  was  left  alone  in  the  world.  Lucy  passed  the 
night  at  the  rectory,  to  keep  her  brother  company,  and  good 
Mr.  Hardinge,  though  thinking  he  remained  with  me  to  offer 
sympathy  and  consolation,  found  so  many  demands  on  his 
time  that  I  saw  but  little  of  him.  It  is  possible  he  un- 
derstood me  sufficiently  well  to  know  thai  solitude  and  re- 
flection, while  the  appearance  of  the  first  was  avoided,  were 
better  for  one  of  my  temperament  than  any  set  forms  of 
condolence.  At  any  rate,  he  was  at  hand,  while  he  said  but 
little  to  me  on  the  subject  of  my  loss. 

At  last  I  got  through  the  day,  and  a  long  and  dreary  day 
it  was  to  me.  The  evening  came,  bland,  refreshing,  bring- 
ing with  it  the  softer  light  of  a  young  moon.  I  was  walk- 
ing on  the  lawn,  when  the  beauty  of  the  night  brought  Grace 
and  her  tastes  vividly  to  my  mind,  and,  by  a  sudden  impulse, 
I  was  soon  swiftly  walking  towards  her  now  silent  grave. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 49 

The  highways  around  Clawbonny  were  never  much  fre- 
quented, but  at  this  hour,  and  so  soon  after  the  solemn 
procession  it  had  so  lately  seen,  no  one  was  met  on  the  road 
towards  the  churchyard.  It  was  months,  indeed,  after  the 
funeral,  that  any  of  the  slaves  ventured  into  the  latter  by 
night;  and  even  during  the  day  they  approached  it  with  an 
awe  that  nothing  could  have  inspired  but  the  death  of  a 
Wallingford.  Perhaps  it  was  owing  to  my  increased  age  and 
greater  observation,  but  I  fancied  that  these  simple  beings 
felt  the  death  of  their  young  mistress  more  than  they  had 
felt  that  of  my  mother. 

St.  Michael's  churchyard  is  beautifully  ornamented  with 
flourishing  cedars.  These  trees  had  been  cultivated  with 
care,  and  formed  an  appropriate  ornament  for  the  place.  A 
fine  cluster  of  them  shaded  the  graves  of  my  family,  and  a 
rustic  seat  had  been  placed  beneath  their  branches,  by  order 
of  my  mother,  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  passing  hours 
in  meditation  at  the  grave  of  her  husband.  Grace  and  I 
and  Lucy  had  often  repaired  to  the  same  place  at  night,  af- 
ter my  mother's  death,  and  there  we  used  to  sit  many  an 
hour  in  deep  silence,  or  if  utterance  was  given  to  a  thought, 
it  was  in  a  respectful  whisper.  As  I  now  approached  this 
seat,  I  had  a  bitter  satisfaction  in  remembering  that  Rupert 
had  never  accompanied  us  in  these  pious  little  pilgrimages. 
Even  in  the  day  of  her  greatest  ascendency,  Grace  had  been 
unable  to  enlist  her  admirer  in  an  act  so  repugnant  to  his 
innate  character.  As  for  Lucy,  her  own  family  lay  on  one 
side  of  that  cluster  of  cedars,  as  mine  lay  on  the  other,  and 
often  had  I  seen  the  dear  young  creature  weeping,  as  her 
eyes  were  riveted  on  the  graves  of  relatives  she  had  never 
known.  But  my  mother  had  been  her  mother,  and  for  this 
friend  she  felt  an  attachment  almost  as  strong  as  that 
which  was  entertained  by  ourselves.  I  am  not  certain  I 
ought  not  to  say  an  attachment  quite  as  strong  as  our  own. 

I  was  apprehensive  iibme  visitors  might  be  hovering  near 
the  grave  of  my  sister  at  that  witching  hour,  and  I  ap- 


150  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

proached  the  cedars  cautiously,  intending  to  retire  unseen 
should  such  prove  to  be  the  case.  I  saw  no  one,  however, 
and  proceeded  directly  to  the  line  of  graves,  placing  myself 
at  the  foot  of  the  freshest  and  most  newly  made.  Hardly 
was  this  done  when  I  heard  the  word  "Miles! "  uttered  in 
a  low,  half-stifled  exclamation.  It  was  not  easy  for  me  to 
mistake  the  voice  of  Lucy;  she  was  seated  so  near  the 
trunk  of  a  cedar  that  her  dark  dress  had  been  confounded 
with  the  shadows  of  the  tree.  I  went  to  the  spot,  and  took 
a  seat  at  her  side. 

"  I  am  not  surprised  to  find  you  here,"  I  said,  taking  the 
dear  girl's  hand,  by  a  sort  of  mechanical  mode  of  manifest- 
ing affection  which  had  grown  up  between  us  from  child- 
hood, rather  than  from  any  sudden  impulse — ^'' you  that 
watched  over  her  so  faithfully  during  the  last  hours  of  her 
existence." 

"Ah!  Miles,"  returned  a  voice  that  was  filled  with  sad- 
ness, "  how  little  did  I  anticipate  this  when  you  spoke  of 
Grace  in  the  brief  interview  we  had  at  the  theatre! " 

I  understood  my  companion  fully.  Lucy  had  been  edu- 
cated superior  to  cant  and  false  morals.  Her  father  drew 
accurate  and  manly  distinctions  between  sin  and  the  exac- 
tions of  a  puritanical  presumption  that  would  set  up  its  own 
narrow  notions  as  the  law  of  God;  and,  innocent  as  she 
was,  no  thought  of  error  was  associated  with  the  indulgence 
of  her  innocent  pleasures.  But  Grace,  suffering  and  in  sor- 
row, while  she  herself  had  been  listening  to  the  wonderful 
poems  of  Shakespeare,  did  present  a  painful  picture  to  her 
mind,  which,  so  far  from  being  satisfied  with  what  she  had 
done  in  my  sister's  behalf,  was  tenderly  reproachful  on  ac- 
count of  fancied  omissions. 

"  It  is  the  will  of  God,  Lucy,"  I  answered.  "  It  must  be 
our  effort  to  be  resigned." 

"  If  you  can  think  thus,  Miles,  how  much  easier  ought  it 
to  be  for  me,  and  yet " 

"Yet  what,   Lucy?     I   believe    you   loved   my  sister  as 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I5I 

affectionately  as  I  did  myself,  but  I  am  sensitive  on  this 
point ;  and  tender,  true,  warm  as  I  know  your  heart  to  be, 
I  cannot  allow  that  even  you  loved  her  more. " 

"  It  is  not  that,  Miles — it  is  not  that.  Have  I  no  cause 
of  particular  regret — no  sense  of  shame — no  feeling  of  deep 
humility  to  add  to  my  grief  for  her  loss?  " 

"  I  understand  you,  Lucy,  and  at  once  answer,  no.  You 
are  not  Rupert  any  more  than  Rupert  is  you.  Let  all  others 
become  what  they  may,  you  will  ever  remain  Lucy  Hard- 
inge." 

"I  thank  you,  Miles,"  answered  my  companion,  gently 
pressing  the  hand  that  still  retained  hers,  "  and  thank  you 
from  my  heart.  But  your  generous  nature  will  not  see  this 
matter  as  others  might.  We  were  aliens  to  your  blood, 
dwellers  under  your  own  roof,  and  were  bound  by  every  sa- 
cred obligation  to  do  you  no  wrong.  I  would  not  have  my 
dear,  upright  father  know  the  truth  for  worlds." 

"  He  never  will  know  it,  Lucy,  and  it  is  my  earnest  de- 
sire that  we  all  forget  it.  Henceforth  Rupert  and  I  must 
be  strangers,  though  the  tie  that  exists  between  me  and  the 
rest  of  your  family  will  only  be  drawn  the  closer  for  this 
sad  event." 

"  Rupert  is  my  brother,"  Lucy  answered,  though  it  was 
in  a  voice  so  low  that  her  words  were  barely  audible. 

"You  would  not  leave  me  quite  alone  in  the  world!"  I 
said,  with  something  like  reproachful  energy. 

"  No,  Miles,  no — that  tie,  as  you  have  said,  must  and 
should  last  for  life.  Nor  do  I  wish  you  to  regard  Rupert  as 
of  old.  It  is  impossible — improper  even — but  you  can  con- 
cede to  us  some  of  that  same  indulgence  which  I  am  so 
willing  to  concede  to  you." 

"  Certainly — Rupert  is  your  brother,  as  you  say,  and  I  do 
not  wish  you  ever  to  regard  him  otherwise.  He  will  marry 
Emily  Merton,  and  I  trust  he  may  be  happy.  Here,  over 
my  sister's  grave,  Lucy,  I  renew  the  pledge  already  made 
to  you,  never  to  act  on  what  has  occurred." 


152  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

I  got  no  answer  to  this  declaration  in  words,  but  Lucy 
would  actually  have  kissed  my  hand  in  gratitude  had  I  per- 
mitted it.  This  I  could  not  suffer,  however,  but  raised  her 
own  hand  to  my  lips,  where  it  was  held  until  the  dear  girl 
gently  withdrew  it  herself. 

"  Miles,"  Lucy  said,  after  a  long  and  thoughtful  pause, 
"  it  is  not  good  for  you  to  remain  at  Clawbonny,  just  at  this 
time.  Your  kinsman,  John  Wallingford,  has  been  here,  and 
I  think  you  like  him.  Why  not  pay  him  a  visit?  He  re- 
sides near  Niagara,  *  West  of  the  Bridge,'  as  he  calls  it,*  and 
you  might  take  the  opportunity  of  seeing  the  *  Falls.' " 

"  I  understand  you,  Lucy,  and  am  truly  grateful  for  the 
interest  you  feel  in  my  happiness.  I  do  not  intend  to  re- 
remain  long  at  Clawbonny,  which  I  shall  leave  to-mor- 
row  " 

"  To-morrow !  "  interrupted  Lucy,  and  I  thought  like  one 
that  was  alarmed. 

"  Does  that  appear  too  early  ?  I  feel  the  necessity  of  oc- 
cupation, as  well  as  of  a  change  of  scene.  You  will  remem- 
ber I  have  a  ship,  and  interests  of  moment  to  myself,  to  care 
for :  I  must  turn  my  face,  and  move  towards  the  east,  instead 
of  towards  the  west." 

"You  intend  then,  Miles,  to  pursue  this  profession  of 
yours?"  Lucy  said,  as  I  thought,  with  a  little  like  gentle 
regret  in  her  manner  and  tones. 

"Certainly — what  better  can  I  do?  I  want  not  wealth, 
I  allow;  am  rich  enough  already  for  all  my  wants,  but  I 
have  need  of  occupation.  The  sea  is  to  my  liking,  I  am 
still  young,  and  can  afford  a  few  more  years  on  the  water. 
I  shall  never  marry  " — Lucy  started — "  and  having  now  no 
heir  nearer  than  John  Wallingford " 

*  In  the  western  part  of  the  state  of  New  York,  there  are  several  small  lakes  that  He 
nearly  parallel  to  each  other,  and  not  far  asunder,  with  lengths  that  vary  from  fifteen 
to  forty  miles.  The  outlet  of  one  of  these  lakes — the  Cayuga— lies  in  the  route  of  he 
great  thoroughfare  to  Buffalo,  and  a  bridge  of  a  mile  in  length  was  early  thrown  across 
it.  From  this  circumstance  has  arisen  the  expression  of  saying,  "West  of  the 
Bridge"  ;  meaning  the  frontier  counties,  which  include,  among  other  districts,  that 
which  is  also  known  as  the  "  Genessee  Country." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I  53 

"John  Wallingford!  you  have  cousins  much  nearer  than 
he!" 

"That  is  true;  but  not  of  the  old  line.  It  was  Grace's 
wish  that  I  should  leave  our  cousin  John  the  Clawbonny 
property  at  least,  whatever  I  do  with  the  rest.  You  are  so 
rich  now  as  not  to  need  it,  Lucy ;  else  would  I  leave  every 
shilling  to  you." 

"  I  believe  you  would,  dear  Miles,"  answered  Lucy,  with 
fervent  warmth  of  manner.  "  You  have  ever  been  all  that 
is  good  and  kind  to  me,  and  I  shall  never  forget  it." 

"  Talk  of  my  kindness  to  you,  Lucy,  when  you  parted  with 
every  cent  you  had  on  earth  to  give  me  the  gold  you  possessed 
on  ray  going  to  sea.  I  am  almost  sorry  you  are  now  so  much 
richer  than  myself,  else  would  I  certainly  make  you  my  heir." 

"  We  will  not  talk  of  money  any  longer  in  this  sacred 
place,"  Lucy  answered  tremulously.  "  What  I  did  as  a  fool- 
ish girl  you  will  forget;  we  were  but  children  then.  Miles." 

So  Lucy  did  not  wish  me  to  remember  certain  passages  in 
our  earlier  youth  I  Doubtless  her  present  relations  to  An- 
drew Drewett  rendered  the  recollection  delicate,  if  not  un- 
pleasant. I  thought  this  less  like  herself  than  was  her 
wont — Lucy,  who  was  usually  so  simple-minded,  so  affec- 
tionate, so  frank,  and  so  true.  Nevertheless,  love  is  an  en- 
grossing sentiment,  as  I  could  feel  in  my  own  case,  and  it 
might  be  that  its  jealous  sensitiveness  took  the  alarm  at 
even  that  which  was  so  innocent  and  sincere.  The  effect 
of  these  considerations,  added  to  that  of  Lucy's  remark,  was 
to  change  the  discourse,  and  we  conversed  long,  in  melan- 
choly sadness,  of  her  we  had  lost,  for  this  life,  altogether. 

"We  may  live,  ourselves,  to  grow  old,  Miles,"  Lucy  ob- 
served, "  but  never  shall  we  cease  to  remember  Grace  as  she 
was,  and  to  love  her  memory  as  we  loved  her  dear  self  in 
life.  There  has  not  been  an  hour  since  her  death  that  I 
have  not  seen  her  sitting  at  my  side,  and  conversing  in  sis- 
terly confidence,  as  we  ^did  from  infancy  to  the  day  she 
ceased  to  live  1 " 


154  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

As  Lucy  said  this,  she  rose,  drew  her  shawl  around  her, 
and  held  out  her  hand  to  take  leave,  for  I  had  spoken  of  an 
intention  to  quit  Clawbonny  early  in  the  morning.  The 
tears  the  dear  girl  shed  might  have  been  altogether  owing 
to  our  previous  conversation,  or  I  might  have  had  a  share 
in  producing  them.  Lucy  used  to  weep  at  parting  from  me, 
as  well  as  Grace,  and  she  was  not  a  girl  to  change  with  the 
winds.  But  I  could  not  part  thus;  I  had  a  sort  of  feeling 
that  when  we  parted  this  time,  it  would  virtually  be  a  final 
separation,  as  the  wife  of  Andrew  Drewett  never  could  be 
exactly  that  which  Lucy  Hardinge  had  now  been  to  me  for 
near  twenty  years. 

"I  will  not  say  farewell  now,  Lucy,"  I  observed. 
"  Should  you  not  come  to  town  before  I  sail,  I  will  return 
to  Clawbonny  to  take  leave  of  you.  God  only  knows  what 
will  become  of  me,  or  whither  I  shall  be  led,  and  I  could 
wish  to  defer  the  leave-takings  to  the  last  moment.  You 
and  your  excellent  father  must  have  my  final  adieus." 

Lucy  returned  the  pressure  of  my  hand,  uttered  a  hasty 
good-night,  and  glided  through  the  little  gate  of  the  rectory, 
which  by  this  time  we  had  reached.  No  doubt  she  fancied 
I  returned  immediately  to  my  own  house.  So  far  from  this, 
however,  I  passed  hours  alone,  in  the  churchyard,  sometimes 
musing  on  the  dead,  and  then  with  all  my  thoughts  bent  on 
the  living.  I  could  see  the  light  in  Lucy's  window,  and  not 
till  that  was  extinguished  did  I  retire.  It  was  long  past 
midnight. 

I  passed  hours  teeming  with  strange  emotions  among 
those  cedars.  Twice  I  knelt  by  Grace's  grave,  and  prayed 
devoutly  to  God.  It  seemed  to  me  that  petitions  offered  in 
such  a  place  must  be  blessed.  I  thought  of  my  mother,  of 
my  manly,  spirited  father,  of  Grace,  and  of  all  the  past. 
Then  I  lingered  long  beneath  Lucy's  window,  and,  in  spite 
of  this  solemn  visit  to  the  graves  of  the  dead,  the  brightest 
and  most  vivid  image  that  I  carried  away  with  me  was  of 
the  living. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 55 


CHAPTER  X. 

Sky.  Three  thousand  ducats — well. 

Bass.  Ay,  sir,  for  three  months. 

Shy.  For  three  months — well. 

Bass.  For  the  which,  as  I  told  you,  Antonio  shall  become  bound. 

Shy.  Antonio  shall  become  bound — well. 

Merchant  0/  Venice. 

I  FOUND  John  Wallingford  in  town,  awaiting  my  appear- 
ance. He  had  taken  lodgings  at  the  City  Hotel,  on  purpose 
to  be  under  the  same  roof  with  me,  and  we  occupied  adjoin- 
ing rooms.  I  dined  with  him ;  and  after  dinner  he  went  with 
me  to  take  a  look  at  the  Dawn.  The  second  mate  told  me 
that  Marble  had  made  a  flying  visit  to  the  ship,  promised  to 
be  back  again  in  a  few  days,  and  disappeared.  By  com- 
paring dates,  I  ascertained  that  he  would  be  in  time  to 
meet  the  mortgage  sale,  and  felt  no  further  concern  in  that 
behalf. 

"Miles,"  said  John  Wallingford,  coolly,  as  we  were  walk- 
ing up  Pine  street,  on  our  way  back  towards  the  tavern,  "  did 
you  not  tell  me  you  employed  Richard  Harrison  as  a  legal 
adviser? " 

"  I  did.  Mr.  Hardinge  made  me  acquainted  with  him, 
and  I  understand  he  is  one  of  the  oldest  lawyers  in  the 
country.  That  is  his  office,  on  the  other  side  of  the  street 
— here,  directly  opposite." 

"  I  saw  it,  and  that  was  the  reason  I  spoke.  It  might  be 
well  just  to  step  in  and  give  some  directions  about  your 
will.  I  wish  to  see  Clawbonny  put  in  the  right  line.  If 
you  would  give  me  a  deed  of  it  for  one  dollar,  I  would  not 
take  it  from  you,  the  only  son  of  an  eldest  son ;  but  it 
would  break  my  heart  to  hear  of  its  going  out  of  the  name. 
Mr.  Harrison  is  also  an»old  adviser  and  friend  of  mine." 

I  was  startled  with  this  plain-dealing;    yet,  there  was 


156  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

something  about  the  manner  of  the  man  that  prevented  my 
being  displeased. 

"  Mr.  Harrison  would  not  be  visible  at  this  hour,  but  I 
will  cross  to  the  office,  and  write  him  a  letter  on  the  sub- 
ject/' I  answered,  doing  as  I  said  on  the  instant,  and  leav- 
ing John  Wallingford  to  pursue  his  way  to  the  house  alone. 
The  next  day,  however,  the  will  was  actually  drawn  up,  ex- 
ecuted, and  placed  in  my  cousin's  hands,  he  being  the  sole 
executor.  If  the  reader  should  ask  me  why  I  did  this,  espe- 
cially the  last,  I  might  be  at  a  loss  to  answer.  A  strange 
confidence  had  come  over  me,  as  respects  this  relative, 
whose  extraordinary  frankness  even  a  more  experienced 
man  might  have  believed  to  be  either  the  height  of  honesty 
or  the  perfection  of  art.  Whichever  was  the  case,  I  not  only 
left  my  will  with  him,  but,  in  the  course  of  the  next  week, 
I  let  him  into  the  secret  of  all  my  pecuniary  affairs;  Grace's 
bequest  to  Rupert,  alone,  excepted.  John  Wallingford  en- 
couraged this  confidence,  telling  me  that  plunging  at  once, 
heart  and  hand,  into  the  midst  of  business,  was  the  most 
certain  mode  of  forgetting  my  causes  of  sorrow.  Plunge 
into  anything  with  my  whole  heart  I  could  not,  then, 
though  I  endeavored  to  lose  my  cares  in  business. 

One  of  my  first  acts,  in  the  way  of  affairs,  was  to  look 
after  the  note  I  had  given  to  Rupert.  It  had  been  made 
payable  at  the  bank  where  I  kept  my  deposits,  and  I  went 
thither  to  inquire  if  it  had  been  left  for  collection.  The 
following  conversation  passed  between  myself  and  the  cash- 
ier on  this  occasion : 

"Good  morning,  Mr. ,"  I  said,  saluting  the  gentle- 
man; "I  have  come  to  inquire  if  a  note  for  $20,000,  made 
by  me  in  favor  of  Rupert  Hardinge,  Esquire,  at  ten  days, 
has  been  left  for  collection.    If  so,  I  am  ready  to  pay  it  now." 

The  cashier  gave  me  a  business  smile — one  that  spoke 
favorably  of  my  standing  as  a  moneyed  man — before  he  an- 
swered the  question.  This  smile  was  also  a  sign  that 
money  was  plenty. 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  1 57 

"Not  absolutely  for  collection,  Captain  Wallingford,  as 
nothing  would  give  us  more  pleasure  than  to  renew  it,  if 
you  would  just  go  through  the  form  of  obtaining  a  city  en- 
dorser." 

"  Mr.  Hardinge  has  then  left  it  for  collection,"  I  observed, 
pained,  in  spite  of  all  that  had  passed,  at  Rupert's  giving 
this  conclusive  evidence  of  the  inherent  meanness  of  his 
character. 

"  Not  exactly  for  collection,  sir,"  was  the  cashier's  answer, 
"for  wishing  to  anticipate  the  money  by  a  few  days,  and 
being  under  the  necessity  of  leaving  town,  we  discounted  it 
for  him." 

"Anticipate! — you  have  discounted  the  note,  sir?  " 

"  With  the  greatest  pleasure,  knowing  it  to  be  good.  Mr. 
Hardinge  remarked  that  you  had  not  found  it  convenient  to 
draw  for  so  large  a  sum  on  the  spot,  and  had  given  this  note 
at  short  date;  and  the  consideration  having  been  received 
in  full,  he  was  desirous  of  being  put  in  cash  at  once.  We 
did  not  hesitate,  of  course." 

"  Consideration  received  in  full !  "  escaped  me,  spite  of  a 
determination  to  be  cool;  but,  luckily,  the  appearance  of 
another  person  on  business  prevented  the  words  or  the  man- 
ner from  being  noted.  "  Well,  Mr.  Cashier,  I  will  draw  a 
check  and  take  up  the  note,  now." 

More  smiles  followed.  The  check  was  given ;  the  note 
was  cancelled  and  handed  to  me,  and  I  left  the  bank  with  a 
balance  in  my  favor  of  rather  more  than  $10,000,  instead  of 
the  $30,000  odd  which  I  had  held  previously  to  entering  it. 
It  is  true,  I  was  heir-at-law  to  all  Grace's  assets,  which  Mr. 
Hardinge  had  handed  over  to  me  the  morning  I  left  Claw- 
bonny,  duly  assigned  and  transferred.  These  last  consisted 
of  stocks,  and  of  bonds  and  mortgages  drawing  interest, 
being  on  good  farms  in  our  own  county. 

"Well,  Miles,  what  do  you  mean  to  do  with  your  ship? " 
demanded  Jack  Wallingford,  that  evening.  "  I  understand 
the  freight  for  which  you  bargained  has  been  transferred  to 


158  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

another  owner,  on  account  of  your  late  troubles;  and  they 
tell  me  freights,  just  now,  are  not  very  high." 

"  Really,  cousin  Jack,  I  am  hardly  prepared  to  answer  the 
question.  Colonial  produce  commands  high  prices  in  the 
north  of  Germany,  they  tell  me;  and  were  I  in  cash  I  would 
buy  a  cargo  on  my  own  account.  Some  excellent  sugars  and 
coffees,  etc.,  were  offered  me  to-day,  quite  reasonably,  for 
ready  money." 

"  And  how  much  cash  would  be  necessary  to  carry  out 
that  scheme,  my  man  ?  " 

"Some  $50,000,  more  or  less,  while  I  have  but  about 
$10,000  on  hand,  though  I  can  command  $20,000  additional 
by  selling  certain  securities,  so  I  must  abandon  the  notion." 

"That  does  not  follow  necessarily.  Let  me  think  a  night 
on  it,  and  we  will  talk  further  in  the  morning.  I  like  quick 
bargains,  but  I  like  a  cool  head.  This  hot  town  and  old 
Madeira  keep  me  in  a  fever,  and  I  wish  a  night's  rest  before 
I  make  a  bargain." 

The  next  morning  John  Wallingford  returned  to  the  sub- 
ject, at  breakfast,  which  meal  we  took  by  ourselves,  in  order 
to  be  at  liberty  to  converse  without  any  auditors. 

"  I  have  thought  over  that  sweet  subject,  the  sugars.  Miles," 
commenced  my  cousin,  "and  approve  of  the  plan.  Can 
you  give  me  any  further  security  if  I  will  lend  you  the 
money  ? " 

"  I  have  some  bonds  and  mortgages,  to  the  amount  of 
twenty-two  thousand  dollars,  with  me,  which  might  be  as- 
signed for  such  a  purpose." 

"But  $22,000  are  an  insufficient  security  for  the  $30,000, 
or  $35,000,  which  you  may  need  to  carry  out  your  adven- 
ture." 

"  That  is  quite  true,  but  I  have  nothing  else  worth  men- 
tioning— unless  it  be  the  ship  or  Clawbonny." 

"Tut  for  the  ship! — she  is  gone  if  you  and  your  cargo 
go;  and  as  for  insurances,  I  want  none  of  them — I  am  a 
landed  man,  and  like  landed  securities.      Give  me  your 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  159 

note  at  three  months,  or  six  months  if  you  will,  with  the 
bonds  and  mortgages  you  mention,  and  a  mortgage  on  Claw- 
bonny,  and  you  can  have  $40,000  this  very  day,  should  you 
need  them." 

I  was  surprised  at  this  offer,  having  no  notion  my  kins- 
man was  rich  enough  to  lend  so  large  a  sum.  On  a  further 
conversation,  however,  I  learned  he  had  near  double  the 
sum  he  had  mentioned  in  ready  money,  and  that  his  princi- 
pal business  in  town  was  to  invest  in  good  city  securities. 
He  professed  himself  willing,  however,  to  lend  me  half,  in 
order  to  help  along  a  kinsman  he  liked.  I  did  not  at  all 
relish  the  notion  of  mortgaging  Clawbonny,  but  John  soon 
laughed  and  reasoned  me  out  of  that.  As  for  Grace's  secu- 
rities, I  parted  with  them  with  a  sort  of  satisfaction;  the 
idea  of  holding  her  effects  being  painful  to  me. 

"  Were  it  out  of  the  family,  or  even  out  of  the  name,  I 
should  think  something  of  it  myself,  Miles,"  he  said,  "  but 
a  mortgage  from  you  to  me  is  like  one  from  me  to  you.  You 
have  made  me  your  heir,  and  to  be  honest  with  you,  boy,  / 
have  made  you  mine.  If  you  lose  my  money,  you  lose  your 
own." 

There  was  no  resisting  this.  My  kinsman's  apparent 
frankness  and  warmth  of  disposition  overcame  all  my  scru- 
ples, and  I  consented  to  borrow  the  money  on  his  own  terms. 
John  Wallingford  was  familiar  with  the  conveyancing  of 
real  estate,  and  with  his  own  hand  he  filled  up  the  necessary 
papers,  which  I  signed.  The  money  was  borrowed  at  five 
per  cent.,  my  cousin  positively  refusing  to  receive  the  legal 
rate  of  interest  from  a  Wallingford.  Pay-day  was  put  at 
six  months'  distance,  and  all  was  done  in  due  form. 

"  I  shall  not  put  this  mortgage  on  record,  Miles,"  Jack 
Wallingford  remarked,  as  he  folded  and  endorsed  the  paper. 
"  I  have  too  much  confidence  in  your  honesty  to  believe 
it  necessary.  You  have  given  one  mortgage  on  Clawbonny 
with  too  much  reluctance^  to  render  it  probable  you  will  be 
in  a  hurry  to  execute  another.     As  for  myself,  I  own  to  a 


l6o  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

secret  pleasure  in  having  even  this  incomplete  hold  on  the 
old  place,  which  makes  me  feel  twice  as  much  of  a  Wal- 
lingford  as  I  ever  felt  before." 

For  my  part,  I  wondered  at  my  kinsman's  family  pride, 
and  I  began  to  think  I  had  been  too  humble  in  my  own  esti- 
mate of  our  standing  in  the  world.  It  is  true,  it  was  not 
easy  to  deceive  myself  in  this  particular,  and  in  point  of 
fact  I  was  certainly  right;  but  when  I  found  a  man  who 
was  able  to  lend  $40,000  at  an  hour's  notice,  valuing  him- 
self on  coming  from  Miles  the  First,  I  could  not  avoid  fan- 
cying Miles  the  First  a  more  considerable  personage  than 
I  had  hitherto  imagined.  As  for  the  money,  I  was  gratified 
with  the  confidence  John  Wallingford  reposed  in  me,  had 
really  a  wish  to  embark  in  the  adventure  for  which  it  sup- 
plied the  means,  and  regarded  the  abstaining  from  recording 
the  mortgage  an  act  of  delicacy  and  feeling  that  spoke  well 
for  the  lender's  heart. 

My  cousin  did  not  cast  me  adrift,  as  soon  as  he  had  filled 
my  pockets.  On  the  contrary,  he  went  with  me,  and  was  a 
witness  to  all  the  purchases  I  made.  The  colonial  produce 
was  duly  bought,  in  his  presence,  and  many  a  shrewd  hint 
did  I  get  from  this  cool-headed  and  experienced  man,  who, 
while  he  was  no  merchant,  in  the  common  sense  of  the 
term,  had  sagacity  enough  to  make  a  first-class  dealer.  As 
I  paid  for  everything  in  ready  money,  the  cargo  was  ob- 
tained on  good  terms,  and  the  Dawn  was  soon  stowed.  As 
soon  as  this  was  done,  I  ordered  a  crew  shipped,  and  the 
hatches  battened  on. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  the  constant  and  important  busi- 
ness with  which  I  was  now  occupied  had  a  tendency  to  dull 
the  edge  of  my  grief,  though  I  can  truly  say  that  the  image 
of  Grace  was  never  long  absent  from  my  mind,  even  in  the 
midst  of  my  greatest  exertions.  Nor  was  Lucy  forgotten. 
She  was  usually  at  my  sister's  side,  and  it  never  happened 
that  I  remembered  the  latter,  without  seeing  the  beautiful 
semblance  of  her  living  friend,  watching  over  her  faded 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  l6l 

form,  with  sisterly  solicitude.  John  Wallingford  left  me  at 
the  end  of  a  week,  after  seeing  me  fairly  under  way  as  a 
merchant,  as  well  as  a  ship-owner  and  ship-master. 

"Farewell,  Miles,''  he  said,  as  he  shook  my  hand  with  a 
cordiality  that  appeared  to  increase  the  longer  he  knew  me; 
"  farewell,  my  dear  boy,  and  may  God  prosper  you  in  all 
your  lawful  and  just  undertakings.  Never  forget  you  are  a 
Wallingford,  and  the  owner  of  Clawbonny.  Should  we 
meet  again,  you  will  find  a  true  friend  in  me;  should  we 
never  meet,  you  will  have  reason  to  remember  me." 

This  leave-taking  occurred  at  the  inn.  A  few  hours  after 
I  was  in  the  cabin  of  the  Dawn,  arranging  some  papers, 
when  I  heard  a  well-known  voice  on  deck,  calling  out  to  the 
stevedores  and  riggers,  in  a  tone  of  authority,  "  Come,  bear 
a  hand,  and  lay  aft;  off  that  forecastle;  to  this  derrick — 
who  ever  saw  a  derrick  standing  before,  after  the  hatches 
were  battened  down,  in  a  first-class  ship — a  regular  A  No. 
I  ?  Bear  a  hand — bear  a  hand ;  you've  got  an  old  sea-dog 
among  you,  men." 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  person.  On  reaching  the 
deck,  I  found  Marble,  his  coat  off,  but  still  wearing  all  the 
rest  of  his  "  go-ashores,"  flourishing  about  among  the  labor- 
ers, putting  into  them  new  life  and  activity.  He  heard  my 
footsteps  behind  him,  but  never  turned  to  salute  me  until 
the  matter  in  hand  was  terminated.  Then  I  received  that 
honor,  and  it  was  easy  to  see  the  cloud  that  passed  over  his 
red  visage,  as  he  observed  the  deep  mourning  in  which  I 
was  clad. 

"Good  morning  to  you,  Captain  Wallingford,"  he  said, 
making  a  mate's  bow — "good  morning,  sir.  God's  will  be 
done!  we  are  all  sinners,  and  so  are  some  of  the  stevedores, 
who've  left  this  derrick  standing  as  if  the  ship  needed  it  for 
a  jury-mast.  Yes,  sir,  God's  will  must  be  submitted  to; 
and  sorry  enough  was  I  to  read  the  obittery  in  the  newspa- 
pers— Grace,  etc.,  daughter,  etc.,  and  only  sister,  etc.  You'll 
be  glad  to  hear,  however,  sir,  that  Willow  Cove  is  moored 
II 


l62  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

head  and  starn  in  the  family,  as  one  might  say,  and  that  the 
bloody  mortgage  is  cut  adrift." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  this,  Mr.  Marble,"  I  answered,  sub- 
mitting to  a  twinge,  as  I  remembered  that  a  mortgage  had 
just  been  placed  on  my  own  paternal  acres;  "  and  I  trust  the 
place  will  long  remain  in  your  blood.  How  did  you  leave 
your  mother  and  niece?  " 

"  I've  not  left  'em  at  all,  sir.  I  brought  the  old  lady  and 
Kitty  to  town  with  me,  on  what  I  call  the  mutual  sight-see- 
ing principle.     They  are  both  up  at  my  boarding-house." 

"  I  am  not  certain,  Moses,  that  I  understand  this  mutual 
principle,  of  which  you  speak." 

"God  bless  you,  Miles,"  returned  the  mate,  who  could 
presume  to  be  familiar,  again,  now  we  had  walked  so  far  aft 
as  not  to  have  any  listeners;  "call  me  Moses  as  often  as 
you  possibly  can,  for  it's  little  I  hear  of  that  pleasant  sound 
now.  Mother  will  dub  me  Oloff,  and  little  Kitty  calls  me 
nothing  but  uncle.  After  all,  I  have  a  bulrush  feelin' 
about  me,  and  Moses  will  always  seem  the  most  nat'ral. 
As  for  the  mutual  principle,  it  is  just  this:  I'm  to  show 
mother  the  Dawn,  one  or  two  of  the  markets — for,  would 
you  believe  it,  the  dear  old  soul  never  saw  a  market  and  is 
dying  to  visit  one,  and  so  I  shall  take  her  to  see  the  Bear 
first,  and  the  Oswego  next,  and  the  Fly  last,  though  she 
cries  out  agin'  a  market  that  is  much  visited  by  flies.  Then 
I  must  introduce  her  to  one  of  the  Dutch  churches ;  after 
that  'twill  go  hard  with  me  but  I  get  the  dear  soul  into  the 
theatre;  and  they  tell  me  there  is  a  lion,  up  town,  that  will 
roar  as  loud  as  a  bull.     That  she  must  see,  of  course." 

"  And  when  your  mother  has  seen  all  these  sights,  what 
will  she  have  to  show  you  ?  " 

"The  tombstone  on  which  I  was  laid  out,  as  a  body  might 
say,  at  five  weeks  old.  She  tells  me  they  traced  the  stone, 
out  of  feelin'  like,  and  followed  it  up  until  they  fairly  found 
it,  set  down  as  the  headstone  of  an  elderly  single  lady,  with 
a  most  pious  and  edifying  inscription  on  it.     Mother  says 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 63 

it  contains  a  whole  varse  from  the  Bible !  That  stone  may 
yet  stand  me  in  hand,  for  anything  I  know  to  the  contrary, 
Miles." 

I  congratulated  my  mate  on  this  important  discovery,  and 
inquired  the  particulars  of  the  affair  with  the  old  usurer;  in 
what  manner  the  money  was  received,  and  by  what  process 
the  place  had  been  so  securely  "  moored,  head  and  starn  in 
the  family." 

"  It  was  all  plain  sailing  when  a  fellow  got  on  the  right 
course,"  Marble  answered.  "Do  you  know.  Miles,  that 
they  call  paying  off  one  of  your  heavy  loads  on  land,  *  lifting 
the  mortgage';  and  a  lift  it  is,  I  can  tell  you,  when  a  man 
has  no  money  to  do  it  with.  The  true  way  to  get  out  of 
debt  is  to  'arn  money ;  I've  found  that  much  out  since  I 
found  my  mother;  and,  the  cash  in  hand,  all  you  have  to  do 
is  to  hand  it  over.  Old  Van  Tassel  was  civil  enough  when 
he  saw  the  bag  of  dollars,  and  was  full  of  fine  speeches.  He 
didn't  wish  to  distress  the  *  worthy  Mrs.  Wetmore,  not  he; 
and  she  was  welcome  to  keep  the  money  as  long  as  she 
pleased,  provided  the  interest  was  punctually  paid ';  but  I'd 
have  none  of  his  soft  words,  and  laid  down  the  Spaniards, 
and  told  him  to  count  them.  I  *  lifted  his  encumbrance,'  as 
they  called  it,  as  easily  as  if  it  had  been  a  pillow  of  fresh 
feathers,  and  walked  off  with  that  bit  of  paper  in  my  hands, 
with  the  names  tore  off  it,  and  satisfaction  give  me,  as  my 
lawyer  said.  This  law  is  droll  business.  Miles;  if  money 
is  paid,  they  give  you  satisfaction,  just  as  gentlemen  call  on 
each  other,  you  know,  when  a  little  cross.  But,  whatever 
you  do,  never  put  your  hand  and  seal  to  a  mortgage ;  for 
land  under  such  a  curse  is  as  likely  to  slide  one  way  as  the 
other.  Clawbonny  is  an  older  place  than  Willow  Cove, 
even ;  and  both  are  too  venerable  and  venerated  to  be  mort- 
gaged." 

The  advice  came  too  late.  Clawbonny  was  mortgaged 
already,  and  I  confess  to  several  new  and  violent  twinges, 
as  I  recalled  the  fact,  while  Marble  was  telling  his  story. 


164  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Still  I  could  not  liken  my  kinsman — plain-talking,  warm- 
hearted, family-loving — John  Wallingford,  to  such  a  grip- 
ing usurer  as  Mrs.  Wetmore's  persecutor. 

I  was  glad  to  see  my  mate  on  every  account.  He  relieved 
me  from  a  great  deal  of  irksome  duty,  and  took  charge  of  the 
ship,  bringing  his  mother  and  Kitty,  that  very  day,  to  live 
in  the  cabin.  I  could  perceive  that  the  old  woman  was 
greatly  surprised  at  the  neatness  she  found  in  all  directions. 
According  to  her  notions,  a  ship  floated  nearly  as  much  in 
tar  as  in  the  water;  and  great  was  her  pleasure  in  finding 
rooms  almost  (conscience  will  not  allow  me  to  say  quite)  as 
clean  as  her  own  residence.  For  one  whole  day  she  desired 
to  see  no  more  than  the  ship,  though  it  was  easy  to  discover 
that  the  good  woman  had  set  her  heart  on  the  Dutch  church 
and  the  lion.  In  due  time  her  son  redeemed  all  his  pledges, 
not  forgetting  the  theatre.  With  the  last,  good  Mrs.  Wet- 
more  was  astounded,  and  Kitty  infinitely  delighted.  The 
pretty  little  thing  confessed  that  she  should  like  to  go  every 
night,  wondered  what  Horace  Bright  would  think  of  it,  and 
whether  he  would  dare  venture  alone  to  a  play-house,  should 
he  happen  to  come  to  York.  In  1803  this  country  was  still 
in  the  palmy  state  of  unsophistication.  There  were  few, 
scarcely  any,  strolling  players,  and  none  but  those  who  vis- 
ited the  cities^  properly  so  called,  enjoyed  opportunities  of 
witnessing  the  wonders  of  paint,  patch,  and  candle-light,  as 
auxiliary  to  the  other  wonders  of  the  stage.  Poor  little 
Kitty !  There  was  a  day  or  two  during  which  the  sock  and 
buskin  wrought  their  usual  effect  on  her  female  nature,  and 
almost  eclipsed  the  glories  of  Horace  Bright,  in  her  own 
bright  eyes. 

I  could  not  refrain  from  accompanying  Marble's  party  to 
the  museum.  In  that  day,  this  was  a  somewhat  insignifi- 
cant collection  of  curiosities,  in  Greenwich  street,  but  it  was 
a  miracle  to  the  aunt  and  niece.  Even  the  worthy  Manhat- 
tanese  were  not  altogether  guiltless  of  esteeming  it  a  won- 
der, though  the  greater  renown  of  the  Philadelphia  Museum 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  16$ 

kept  this  of  New  York  a  little  in  the  shade.  I  have  often 
had  occasion  to  remark  that,  in  this  republic,  the  people  in 
the  country  are  a  little  less  country,  and  the  people  of  the 
towns  a  good  deal  less  town,  than  is  apt  to  be  the  case  in 
great  nations.  The  last  is  easily  enough  accounted  for:  the 
towns  having  shot  up  so  rapidly,  and  receiving  their  acces- 
sions of  population  from  classes  not  accustomed  to  town 
lives  from  childhood.  Were  a  thousand  villages  to  be  com- 
pressed into  a  single  group  of  houses,  their  people  would 
long  retain  the  notions,  tastes,  and  habits  of  villagers, 
though  they  would  form  a  large  town  in  the  aggregate. 
Such,  in  a  measure,  is  still  the  fact  with  our  American 
towns;  no  one  of  them  all  having  the  air,  tone,  or  appear- 
ance of  a  capital,  while  most  of  them  would  be  paragons  in 
the  eyes  of  such  persons  as  old  Mrs.  Wetmore  and  her  grand- 
daughter. Thus  it  was  that  the  Greenwich  street  Museum 
gave  infinite  satisfaction  to  these  two  unsophisticated  visi- 
tors. Kitty  was  most  struck  with  certain  villainous  wax- 
figures — works  of  art  that  were  much  on  a  level  with  certain 
similar  objects  that  were  lately,  if  they  are  not  now,  exhib- 
ited for  the  benefit  of  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Westminster 
Abbey,  above  the  tombs  of  the  Plantagenets,  and  almost 
in  contact  with  that  marvel  of  Gothic  art,  Henry  VII. 's 
chapel !  It  is  said  that "  misery  makes  a  man  acquainted  with 
strange  bed-fellows."  So,  it  would  seem,  do  shillings  and 
sixpences.  To  return  to  Kitty:  after  admiring  divers  beau- 
ties, such  as  the  New  York  Beauty,  the  South  Carolina 
Beauty,  and  the  Pennsylvania  Beauty,  she  fastened  her  own 
pretty  eyes  on  a  nun,  wondering  who  a  female  in  such  an 
attire  could  be.  In  1803,  a  nun  and  a  nunnery  would  be 
almost  as  great  curiosities  in  America  as  a  rhinoceros, 
though  the  country  has  since  undergone  some  changes  in 
this  respect. 

"Grandmother,"  exclaimed  Kitty,  "who  <:an  that  lady  be 
—  it  isn't  Zady  Washington,  is  it?  " 

"  It  looks  more  like  a  clergyman's  wife,  Kitty,"  answered 


1 66  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

the  worthy  Mrs.  Wetmore,  not  a  little  "  non-plushed^^^  her- 
self, as  she  afterward  admitted.  "  I  should  think  Madam 
Washington  went  more  gayly  dressed,  and  looked  happier 
like.     I'm  sure  if  any  woman  could  be  happy,  it  was  she!  " 

"  Ay,"  answered  her  son,  "  there  is  truth  in  that  remark. 
This  woman,  here,  is  what  is  called  a  nun  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  quarters  of  the  world." 

"A  nun!  "  repeated  little  Kitty.  "Isn't  that  the  sort  of 
woman  that  shuts  herself  up  in  a  house,  and  promises  never 
to  get  married,  uncle  ?  " 

"  You're  quite  right,  my  dear,  and  it's  matter  of  surprise 
to  me  how  you  should  pick  up  so  many  useful  idees,  in  an 
out-of-the-way  place,  like  Willow  Cove." 

"  It  was  not  out  of  your  way,  uncle,"  said  Kitty,  a  little 
reproachfully,  "  or  you  never  would  have  found  us." 

"  In  that  partic'lar  it  was  well  enough,  my  dear.  Yes,  a 
nun  is  a  sort  of  she-hermit,  a  breed  that  I  detest  altogether." 

"  I  suppose,  Kitty,"  I  inquired,  "  you  think  it  wicked  in 
man  or  woman  to  take  a  vow  never  to  get  married." 

The  poor  girl  blushed,  and  she  turned  away  from  the  nun 
without  making  any  reply.  No  one  can  say  what  turn  the 
conversation  might  have  taken,  had  not  the  grandmother's 
eye  fell  on  an  indifferent  copy  of  Leonardo's  celebrated  pic- 
ture of  the  Last  Supper,  receiving  at  the  same  time  a  printed 
explanation,  one  got  up  by  some  local  antiquary,  who  had 
ventured  to  affix  names  to  the  different  personages  of  the 
group,  at  his  own  suggestion.  I  pointed  out  the  principal 
figure  of  the  painting,  which  is  sufficiently  conspicuous,  by 
the  way,  and  then  referred  the  good  woman  to  the  catalogue 
for  the  rest  of  the  names. 

"  Bless  me,  bless  me ! "  exclaimed  the  worthy  mother, 
" that  I  should  live  ever  to  see  paintings  of  such  people! 
Kitty,  my  dear,  this  bald-headed  old  man  is  St.  Peter.  Did 
you  ever  think  that  St.  Peter  was  bald?  And  there  is  St. 
John,  with  black  eyes.  Wonderful,  wonderful,  that  I  should 
ever  live  to  see  likenesses  of  such  blessed  men! " 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  16/ 

Kitty  was  as  much  astonished  as  her  grandmother,  and 
even  the  son  was  a  little  mystified.  The  latter  remarked 
that  "the  world  was  making  great  headway  in  all  such 
things,  and,  for  his  part,  he  did  not  see  how  the  painters 
and  authors  found  out  all  they  drew  and  recorded." 

The  reader  may  easily  imagine  that  half  a  day  spent  in 
such  company  was  not  entirely  thrown  away.  Still,  half  a 
day  sufficed;  and  I  went  to  the  Old  Coffee-house  at  one,  to 
eat  a  sandwich  and  drink  a  glass  of  porter ;  that  being  the 
inn  then  most  frequented  for  such  purposes,  especially  by 
the  merchants.  I  was  in  my  box,  with  the  curtain  drawn, 
when  a  party  of  three  entered  that  which  adjoined  it,  order- 
ing as  many  glasses  of  punch;  which  in  that  day  was  a  bev- 
erage much  in  request  of  a  morning,  and  which  it  was  per- 
mitted even  to  a  gentleman  to  drink  before  dining.  It  was 
the  sherry-cobbler  of  the  age;  although  I  believe  every- 
thing is  now  pronounced  to  be  out  of  fashion  before  dinner. 

As  the  boxes  were  separated  merely  by  curtains,  it  was 
impossible  to  avoid  hearing  any  conversation  that  passed  in 
the  one  adjoining  my  own,  especially  when  the  parties  took 
no  pains  to  speak  low,  as  happened  to  be  the  case  with  my 
three  neighbors.  Consequently,  I  recognized  the  voices  of 
Andrew  Drewett  and  Rupert  Hardinge  in  an  instant;  that 
of  the  third  person  being  unknown  to  me. 

"  Well,  Norton,"  said  Rupert,  a  little  affectedly  as  to  man- 
ner,  "  you  have  got  Drewett  and  myself  down  here  among 
you  traders,  and  I  hope  you  will  do  the  honors  of  the  place 
in  a  way  to  confer  on  the  latter  some  credit.  A  merchant  is 
nothing  without  credit,  you  know." 

"  Have  no  apprehensions  for  your  gentility,  Hardinge,'* 
returned  the  person  addressed.  "  Many  of  the  first  persons 
in  town  frequent  this  house,  at  this  hour,  and  its  punch  is 
renowned.  By  the  way,  I  saw  in  a  paper,  the  other  day, 
Rupert,  that  one  of  your  relatives  is  dead — Miss  Grace  Wal- 
lingford,  your  sister's  oW  associate." 

A  short  pause  followed,  during  which  I  scarcely  breathed. 


1 68  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"No,  not  a  relation,"  Rupert  at  length  answered.  "Only 
my  father's  ward.  You  know  how  it  is  in  the  country :  the 
clergyman  being  expected  to  take  care  of  all  the  sick  and 
all  the  orphans." 

"  But  these  Wallingfords  are  people  altogether  above 
standing  in  need  of  favors,"  Drewett  hastily  observed.  "  I 
have  been  at  their  place,  and  really  it  is  a  respectable  spot. 
As  for  Miss  Wallingford,  she  was  a  most  charming  girl,  and 
her  death  will  prove  a  severe  blow  to  your  sister,  Hardinge." 

This  was  said  with  so  much  feeling  that  I  could  almost 
forgive  the  speaker  for  loving  Lucy,  though  I  question  if  I 
could  ever  truly  forgive  him  for  being  beloved  by  her, 

"Why,  yes,"  rejoined  Rupert,  affecting  an  indifference 
that  I  could  detect  he  was  far  from  feeling,  "Grace  was  a 
good  creature;  though,  living  so  much  with  her  in  child- 
hood, she  had  less  interest  in  my  eyes,  perhaps,  than  she 
might  have  had  in  those  of  one  less  accustomed  to  see  her. 
Notwithstanding,  I  had  a  sort  of  regard  for  Grace,  I  will 
confess." 

"Respect  and  esteem  her,  I  should  think  all  who  knew 
her  must,"  added  Drewett,  as  if  determined  to  win  my  heart; 
"  and,  in  my  opinion,  she  was  both  beautiful  and  lovely." 

"  This  from  a  man  who  is  confessedly  an  admirer,  nay, 
engaged  to  your  own  sister,  as  the  world  says,  Hardinge, 
must  be  taken  as  warm  praise,"  said  the  third.  "  But  I 
suppose  Drewett  sees  the  dear  departed  with  the  eyes  of  her 
friend — for  Miss  Hardinge  was  very  intimate  with  her,  I 
believe." 

"  As  intimate  as  sisters,  and  loving  each  other  as  sisters," 
returned  Drewett,  with  feeling.  "  No  intimate  of  Miss  Hard- 
inge's  can  be  anything  but  meritorious." 

"Grace  Wallingford  had  merit  beyond  a  question,"  added 
Rupert,  "  as  has  her  brother,  who  is  a  good,  honest  fellow 
enough.     When  a  boy,  /was  rather  intimate  with  ^/w." 

"The  certain  proof  of  his  excellences  and  virtues,"  put 
in  the  stranger,  laughing.     "  But,  if  a  ward,  there  must  be  a 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 69 

fortune.  I  think  I  have  heard  these  Wallingfords  were 
richish." 

"  Yes,  that  is  just  it — rtchish"  said  Drewett.  "  Some 
forty  or  fifty  thousand  dollars  between  them,  all  of  which 
the  brother  must  now  inherit;  and  glad  am  I  it  falls  to  so 
good  a  fellow/' 

"  This  is  generous  praise  from  you^  Drewett,  for  I  have 
heard  this  brother  might  prove  your  rival." 

"  I  had  some  such  fears  myself,  once,  I  will  confess,"  re- 
turned the  other,  "but  they  are  all  vanished.  I  no  longer 
fear  him,  and  can  see  and  acknowledge  his  merits.  Besides, 
I  am  indebted  to  him  for  my  life." 

"  No  longer  fear  him.^^  This  was  plain  enough,  and  was 
proof  of  the  understanding  that  existed  between  the  lovers. 
And  why  should  I  be  feared  ?  I,  who  had  never  dared  to 
say  a  word  to  the  object  nearest  my  heart  that  might  induce 
her  to  draw  the  ordinary  distinction  between  passion  and 
esteem — love,  and  a  brotherly  regard.-* 

"  Ay,  Drewett  is  pretty  safe,  I  fancy,"  Rupert  remarked, 
laughing;  "though  it  will  hardly  do  for  me  to  tell  tales  out 
of  school." 

"This  is  a  forbidden  subject,"  rejoined  the  lover,  "and 
we  will  talk  of  Wallingford.  He  must  inherit  his  sister's 
fortune." 

"  Poor  Grace !  it  was  little  she  had  to  leave,  I  fancy," 
Rupert  quietly  observed. 

"Ay,  little  in  your  eyes,  Hardinge,"  added  the  third  per- 
son, "  but  a  good  deal  in  those  of  her  brother,  the  shipmas- 
ter, one  might  think.  Ever  since  you  have  fallen  heir  to 
Mrs.  Bradfort's  estate,  a  few  thousands  count  for  nothing." 

"  Were  it  a  million,  that  brother  would  think  it  dearly 
purchased  by  the  loss  of  his  sister!  "  exclaimed  Drewett. 

"  It's  plain  enough  there  is  no  rivalry  between  Andrew 
and  Miles,"  added  the  laughing  Rupert.  "  Certainly  money 
is  not  quite  of  so  much  account  with  me  now  as  it  used  to 
be  when  I  had  nothing  but  a  clergyman's  salary  to  glean 


I70  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

from.  As  for  Mrs.  Bradfort's  fortune,  it  came  from  a  com- 
mon ancestor,  and  I  do  not  see  who  has  a  better  right  to  it 
than  those  who  now  enjoy  it." 

"Unless  it  might  be  your  father,"  said  the  third  man, 
"  who  stood  before  you,  according  to  the  laws  of  primogeni- 
ture. I  dare  say  Rupert  made  love  to  his  venerable  cousin, 
if  the  truth  were  known,  and  induced  her  to  overlook  a  gen- 
eration with  his  oily  tongue." 

"Rupert  did  nothing  of  the  sort;  it  is  his  glory  to  love 
Emily  Merton,  and  Emily  Merton  only.  As  my  worthy 
cousin  could  not  take  her  fortune  with  her,  she  left  it  among 
her  natural  heirs.  How  do  you  know  I  have  got  any  of  it? 
I  give  you  my  honor,  my  account  in  bank  is  under  $20,000." 

"  A  pretty  fair  account,  that,  by  Jove ! "  exclaimed  the 
other.  "  It  must  be  a  rapping  income  that  will  permit  a 
fellow  like  you  to  keep  up  such  a  balance." 

"  Why,  some  persons  say  my  sister  has  the  whole  fortune. 
I  dare  say  that  Drewett  can  satisfy  you  on  this  head.  The 
affair  concerns  him  quite  as  much  as  it  does  any  other  per- 
son of  my  acquaintance." 

"  I  can  assure  you  I  know  nothing  about  it,"  answered 
Drewett,  honestly.  "Nor  do  I  desire  to  know.  I  would 
marry  Miss  Hardinge  to-morrow,  though  she  had  not  a 
cent." 

"  It's  just  this  disinterestedness,  Andrew,  that  makes  me 
like  you,"  observed  Rupert,  magnificently.  "  Depend  on  it, 
you'll  fare  none  the  worse,  in  the  long  run,  for  this  admira- 
ble trait  in  your  character.  Lucy  knows  it,  and  appreciates 
it  as  she  should." 

I  wished  to  hear  no  more,  but  left  the  box  and  the  house, 
taking  care  not  to  be  seen.  From  that  moment,  I  was  all 
impatience  to  get  to  sea.  I  forgot  even  the  intention  of  vis- 
iting my  sister's  grave;  nor  did  I  feel  that  I  could  sustain 
another  interview  with  Lucy  herself.  That  afternoon  I  told 
Marble  the  ship  must  be  ready  to  sail  the  succeeding  morn- 
ing. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I7I 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Go,  tenderness  of  years ;  take  this  key.   Give  enlargement  to  the  swain — ^bring  him 
festinately  hither.     I  must  employ  him  in  a  letter  to  my  love. 

Love's  Labor  Lost, 

I  WILL  not  attempt  to  analyze  the  feelings  which  now  im- 
pelled me  to  quit  America.  I  had  discovered,  or  thought  I 
had  discovered,  certain  qualities  in  Andrew  Drewett  which 
rendered  him,  in  some  measure  at  least,  worthy  of  Lucy; 
and  I  experienced  how  painful  it  is  to  concede  such  an  ad- 
vantage to  a  rival.  Still,  I  must  be  just  enough  to  add 
that,  in  my  cooler  moments,  when  I  came  to  consider  that 
Lucy  could  never  be  mine,  I  was  rejoiced  to  find  such  proofs 
of  a  generous  disposition  in  her  future  husband.  On  the 
other  hand,  I  could  not  divest  myself  of  the  idea  that  perfect 
confidence  in  his  own  position  could  alone  enable  him  to  be 
so  liberal  in  his  opinions  of  myself.  The  reader  will  un- 
derstand how  extravagant  was  this  last  supposition,  when  he 
remembers  that  I  had  never  given  Lucy  herself,  or  the 
world,  any  sufficient  reason  to  suppose  that  I  was  a  suitor 
for  the  dear  girl's  hand. 

I  never  saw  Marble  so  industrious  as  he  proved  to  be 
when  he  received  my  hurried  orders  for  sailing  that  after- 
noon. He  shipped  his  mother  and  niece  for  Willow  Cove, 
by  an  Albany  sloop,  the  same  evening,  got  the  crew  on 
board,  and  the  Dawn  into  the  stream,  before  sunset,  and 
passed  half  the  night  in  sending  off  small  stores.  As  for 
the  ship,  she  had  been  cleared  the  day  the  hatches  were 
battened  down.  According  to  every  rule  of  mercantile 
thrift,  I  ought  to  have  been  at  sea  twenty-four  hours,  when 
these  orders  were  given;  but  a  lingering  reluctance  to  go 
further  from  the  grave  of  Grace,  the  wish  to  have  one  more 
interview  with  Lucy,  and  a  disposition  to  indulge  my  mate 
in  his  commendable  zeal  to«amuse  his  new-found  relatives, 
kept  me  in  port  beyond  my  day. 


1/2  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

All  these  delays,  however,  were  over,  and  I  was  now  in  a 
feverish  hurry  to  be  off.  Neb  came  up  to  the  City  Hotel  as 
I  was  breakfasting,  and  reported  that  the  ship  was  tiding  at 
single  anchor,  with  a  short  range,  and  that  the  foretopsail 
was  loose.  I  sent  him  to  the  post  office  for  letters,  and 
ordered  my  bill.  All  my  trunks  had  gone  aboard  before  the 
ship  hauled  off,  and — the  distances  in  New  York  then  being 
short — Neb  was  soon  back  and  ready  to  shoulder  my  carpet- 
bag. The  bill  was  paid,  three  or  four  letters  were  taken  in 
my  hand,  and  I  walked  towards  the  Battery,  followed  by  the 
faithful  black,  who  had  again  abandoned  home,  Chloe,  and 
Clawbonny,  to  follow  my  fortunes. 

I  delayed  opening  the  letters  until  I  reached  the  Battery. 
Dispatching  Neb  to  the  boat,  with  orders  to  wait,  I  took  a 
turn  among  the  trees — still  reluctant  to  quit  the  native  soil 
— while  I  broke  the  seals.  Two  of  the  letters  bore  the  post- 
marks of  the  office  nearest  Clawbonny ;  the  third  was  from 
Albany;  and  the  fourth  was  a  packet  of  some  size  from 
Washington,  franked  by  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  bearing 
the  seal  of  office.  Surprised  at  such  a  circumstance,  I 
opened  the  last  of  these  communications  first. 

The  official  letter  proved  to  be  an  envelope  containing — 
with  a  civil  request  to  myself  to  deliver  the  enclosures — 
dispatches  addressed  to  the  Consul  at  Hamburg,  for  which 
port  my  ship  had  been  advertised  some  time.  Of  course  I 
could  only  determine  to  comply;  and  that  communication 
was  disposed  of.  One  of  the  Clawbonny  letters  was  in  Mr. 
Hardinge's  hand,  and  I  found  it  to  contain  some  excellent 
and  parental  advice.  He  spoke  of  my  sister,  but  it  was 
calmly,  and  with  the  humble  hope  that  became  his  sacred 
office.  I  was  not  sorry  to  find  that  he  advised  me  not  to 
visit  Clawbonny  before  I  sailed.  Lucy,  he  said,  was  well, 
and  a  gentle  sadness  was  gradually  taking  the  place  of  the 
livelier  grief  she  had  endured,  immediately  after  the  loss  of 
her  friend.  "You  were  not  aware,  Miles,  how  keenly  she 
suffered,"  my  good  old  guardian  continued,  "  for  she  strug- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1/3 

gled  hard  to  seem  calm  in  your  presence ;  but  from  me  my 
dear  child  had  no  secrets  on  this  subject,  whatever  she  may 
see  fit  to  have  on  another.  Hours  has  she  passed,  weeping 
on  my  bosom,  and  I  much  doubt  if  the  image  of  Grace  has 
been  absent  from  her  waking  thoughts  a  single  minute,  at 
any  one  time,  since  we  first  laid  your  sister's  head  in  the 
coffin.  Of  you  she  does  not  speak  often,  but,  when  she  does, 
it  is  ever  in  the  kindest  and  most  solicitous  manner;  call- 
ing you  *Miles,'  *poor  Miles,'  or  *dear  Miles,'  with  all  that 
sisterly  frankness  and  affection  you  have  known  in  her  from 
childhood."  The  old  gentleman  had  underscored  the  "j/j- 
terly'*'*  himself. 

To  my  delight  and  suprise,  there  was  a  long,  very  long, 
letter  from  Lucy,  too !  How  it  happened  that  I  did  not  rec- 
ognize her  pretty,  delicate,  ladylike  handwriting  is  more 
than  I  can  say ;  but  the  direction  had  been  overlooked  in 
the  confusion  of  receiving  so  many  letters  together.  That 
direction,  too,  gave  me  pleasure.  It  was  to  "  Miles  Wal- 
iingford,  Esquire";  whereas  the  three  others  were  addressed 
to  "Captain  Miles  Wallingford,  ship  Dawn,  New  York." 
Now  a  shipmaster  is  no  more  entitled,  in  strict  usage,  to  be 
called  a  "  captain,"  than  he  is  to  be  called  an  '  esquire." 
Your  man-of-war  officer  is  the  only  true  captain  ;  a  "  master" 
being  nothing  but  a  "  master."  Then,  no  American  is  en- 
titled to  be  called  an  "esquire,"  which  is  the  correlative  of 
"knight,"  and  is  a  title  properly  prohibited  by  the  Constitu- 
tion, though  most  people  imagine  that  a  magistrate  is  an 
"  esquire,"  ex  officio.  He  is  an  "  esquire  "  as  a  member  of 
Congress  is  an  "honorable,"  by  assumption,  and  not  of 
right;  and  I  wish  the  country  had  sufficient  self-respect  to 
be  consistent  with  itself.  What  should  we  think  of  Mark 
Anthony,  Esquire?  or  of  'Squire  Lucius  Junius  Brutus?  or 
His  Excellency  Julius  Caesar,  Esquire?  Nevertheless, 
"esquire"  is  an  appellatioji  that  is  now  universally  given  to 

•  A  few  years  since,  the  writer  saw  a  marriage  announced  in  a  colored  paper,  which 
read,  "  Married,  by  the  Rev,  Julius  Caesar,  Washington,  to  Miss ." 


1/4  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

a  gentleman,  who,  in  truth,  is  the  only  man  in  this  country 
that  has  any  right  to  it  at  all,  and  he  only  by  courtesy. 
Lucy  had  felt  this  distinction,  and  I  was  grateful  for  the 
delicacy  and  tact  with  which  she  had  dropped  the  "  captain," 
and  put  in  the  "  esquire."  To  me  it  seemed  to  say  that  she 
recognized  me  as  one  of  her  own  class,  let  Rupert  and  his 
light  associates  think  of  me  as  they  might.  Lucy  never  de- 
parted a  hair's  breadth  from  the  strictly  proper,  in  all  mat- 
ters of  this  sort,  something  having  been  obtained  from  edu- 
cation, but  far  more  from  the  inscrutable  gifts  of  nature. 

As  for  the  letter  itself,  it  is  too  long  to  copy ;  yet  I  scarce 
know  how  to  describe  it.  Full  of  heart  it  was,  of  course, 
for  the  dear  girl  was  all  heart;  and  it  was  replete  with  her 
truth  and  nature.  The  only  thing  in  it  that  did  not  give 
me  entire  satisfaction  was  a  request  not  to  come  again  to 
Clawbonny  until  my  return  from  Europe.  "Time,"  she 
added,  "will  lessen  the  pain  of  such  a  visit;  and,  by  that 
time,  you  will  begin  to  regard  our  beloved  Grace  as  I 
already  regard  her,  a  spotless  spirit  waiting  for  our  union 
with  it  in  the  mansions  of  bliss.  It  is  not  easy.  Miles,  to 
know  how  to  treat  such  a  loss  as  this  of  ours.  God  may 
bless  it  to  our  lasting  good,  and,  in  this  light,  it  is  useful 
to  bear  it  ever  in  mind;  while  a  too  great  submission  to 
sorrow  may  only  serve  to  render  us  unhappy.  Still,  I  think, 
no  one  who  knew  Grace,  as  we  knew  her,  can  ever  recall  her 
image  without  feeling  himself  drawn  nearer  to  the  dread 
being  who  created  her,  and  who  has  called  her  to  himself 
so  early.  We^  alone,  thoroughly  understood  the  beloved 
creature !  My  dear,  excellent  father  loved  her  as  he  loves 
me,  but  he  could  not,  did  not  know  all  the  rare  virtues  of 
her  heart.  These  could  be  known  only  to  those  who  knew 
her  great  secret,  and,  God  be  praised !  even  Rupert  has  little 
true  knowledge  of  that. 

"  My  father  has  spoken  to  me  of  Grace's  wish  that  he 
and  I  should  accept  some  memorials  of  the  affection  she 
bore  us.     These  were  unnecessary,  but  are  far  too  sacred  to 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I /J 

be  declined.  I  sincerely  wish  that  their  value  in  gold  had 
been  less,  for  the  hair  I  possess  (some  of  which  is  reserved 
for  you)  is  far  more  precious  to  me  than  any  diamonds  or 
stones  could  possibly  become.  As,  however,  something 
must  be  purchased  or  procured,  I  have  to  request  that  my 
memorial  may  be  the  pearls  you  gave  Grace  on  your  return 
from  the  Pacific.  Of  course  I  do  not  mean  the  valuable 
necklace  you  have  reserved  for  one  who  will  one  day  be  still 
dearer  to  you  than  any  of  us,  but  the  dozen  or  two  of  pearls 
that  you  bestowed  on  your  sister,  in  my  presence,  at  Claw- 
bonny.  They  are  sufficiently  valuable  in  themselves  to 
answer  all  the  purposes  of  Grace's  bequest,  and  I  know 
they  were  very  much  prized  by  her,  as  your  gift,  dear  Miles. 
I  am  certain  you  will  not  believe  they  will  be  the  less  valu- 
able in  my  eyes  on  that  account.  As  I  know  where  they 
are,  I  shall  go  to  Clawbonny  and  take  possession  of  them  at 
once,  so  you  need  give  yourself  no  further  concern  on  account 
of  the  memorial  that  was  to  be  presented  to  me.  I  acknowl- 
edge its  reception,  unless  you  object  to  my  proposition." 

I  scarce  knew  what  to  think  of  this.  I  would  gladly  have 
bestowed  on  Lucy  pearls  of  equal  value  to  those  I  had  given 
Grace,  but  she  refused  to  receive  them,  and  now  she  asked 
for  these  very  pearls,  which,  intrinsically,  were  not  half  the 
value  of  the  sum  I  had  informed  Mr.  Hardinge  Grace  had 
requested  me  to  expend  in  purchasing  a  memorial.  This 
avidity  to  possess  these  pearls — for  so  it  struck  me — was 
difficult  to  account  for,  Grace  having  owned  divers  other 
ornaments  that  were  more  costly,  and  which  she  had  much 
oftener  worn.  I  confess  I  had  thought  of  attempting  to  per- 
suade Lucy  to  receive  my  own  necklace  as  the  memorial  of 
Grace,  but  a  little  reflection  satisfied  me  of  the  hopelessness 
of  success,  and  nothing  had  been  said  on  the  subject.  Of 
course  I  acquiesced  in  the  wish  of  the  dear  girl  to  possess 
the  pearls,  but  at  the  same  time  I  determined  to  make  the 
additional  purchase,  ritore  thoroughly  to  carry  out  the  wishes 
of  my  sister. 


iy6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

On  the  whole,  the  letter  of  Lucy  gave  me  a  great  and  sooth- 
ing pleasure.  I  came  to  a  resolution  to  answer  it,  and  to 
send  that  answer  back  by  the  pilot.  I  had  no  owner  to  feel 
any  solicitude  in  the  movements  of  the  ship;  had  no  longer 
a  sister  to  care  for  myself,  and  to  whom  else  could  my  last 
words  on  quitting  the  land  be  so  appropriately  addressed 
as  to  this  constant  and  true-hearted  friend?  That  much,  at 
least,  I  could  presume  to  call  Lucy,  and  even  to  that  I  clung 
as  the  shipwrecked  mariner  clings  to  the  last  plank  that  floats. 

The  fourth  letter,  to  my  astonishment,  bore  the  signature 
of  John  Wallingford,  and  the  date  of  Albany.  He  had  got 
this  far  on  his  way  home,  and  written  me  a  line  to  let  me 
know  the  fact.     I  copy  his  epistle  in  full,  viz. : — 

"  Dear  Miles  : 

"  Here  I  am,  and  sorry  am  I  to  see,  by  the  papers,  f^frg 
you  are  still.  Recollect,  my  dear  boy,  that  sugars  will  melt. 
It  is  time  you  were  off ;  this  is  said  for  your  own  sake,  and 
not  for  mine,  as  you  well  know  I  am  amply  secured.  Still, 
the  markets  may  fall,  and  he  who  is  first  in  them  can  wait 
for  a  rise,  while  he  who  is  last  must  take  what  offers. 

"Above  all,  Miles,  do  not  take  it  into  your  head  to  alter 
your  will.  Things  are  now  arranged  between  us  precisely 
as  they  should  be,  and  I  hate  changes.  I  am  your  heir,  and 
you  are  mine.  Your  counsel,  Richard  Harrison,  Esquire,  is 
a  man  of  great  respectability,  and  a  perfectly  safe  repository 
of  such  a  secret.  I  leave  many  of  my  papers  in  his  hands, 
and  he  has  now  been  my  counsel  ever  since  I  had  need  of 
one,  and  treads  so  hard  on  Hamilton's  heels  that  the  last 
sometimes  feels  his  toes.  This  is  as  counsel,  however,  and 
not  as  an  advocate. 

"Adieu,  my  dear  boy:  we  are  both  Wallingfords,  and  the 
nearest  of  kin  to  each  other,  0/  the  name.  Clawbonny  will 
be  safe  with  either  of  us,  and  either  of  us  will  be  safe  with 
Clawbonny.  Your  affectionate  cousin, 

"John  Wallingford." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  \*JJ 

I  confess  that  all  this  anxiety  about  Clawbonny  began  to 
give  me  some  uneasiness,  and  that  I  often  wished  I  had 
been  less  ambitious,  or  less  hasty  would  be  the  better  word, 
and  had  been  content  to  go  to  sea  again  in  my  simple  char- 
acter of  shipmaster  and  ship-owner;  leaving  the  merchant  to 
those  who  better  understood  the  vocation. 

I  now  went  to  the  boat,  and  to  the  ship.  Marble  was  all 
ready  for  me,  and  in  ten  minutes  the  anchor  was  clear  of  the 
bottom ;  in  ten  more  it  was  catted  and  fished,  and  the  Dawn 
was  beating  down  the  bay,  on  a  young  flood,  with  a  light 
breeze  at  southwest.  The  pilot  being  in  charge,  I  had 
nothing  to  do  but  go  below  and  write  my  letters.  I  an- 
swered everybody,  even  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  who,  at 
that  time,  was  no  less  a  man  than  James  Madison.  To  him, 
however,  I  had  nothing  to  say,  but  to  acknowledge  the  re- 
ceipt of  the  dispatches,  and  to  promise  to  deliver  them.  My 
letter  to  Mr.  Hardinge  was,  I  hope,  such  as  a  son  might 
have  written  to  a  revered  parent.  In  it  I  begged  he  would 
allow  me  to  add  to  his  library,  by  a  purchase  of  theological 
works  of  value,  and  which,  in  that  day,  could  only  be  pro- 
cured in  Europe.  This  was  to  be  his  memorial  of  my  sister. 
I  also  begged  of  his  friendship  an  occasional  look  at  Claw- 
bonny, though  I  did  not  venture  to  speak  of  the  mortgage, 
of  which  I  now  felt  a  sort  of  conviction  he  would  not  ap- 
prove. 

The  letter  to  John  Wallingford  was  as  pithy  as  his  own 
to  me.  I  told  him  my  will  was  made,  on  a  conviction  of  its 
perfect  propriety,  and  assured  him  it  would  not  be  altered 
in  a  hurry;  I  told  him  the  sugars  were  safe,  and  let  him 
understand  that  they  were  already  on  their  way  to  Hamburg, 
whence  I  hoped,  ere  long,  to  send  him  a  good  account  of 
their  sale. 

To  Lucy,  I  was  by  no  means  so  laconic.  On  the  subject 
of  the  pearls  of  Grace,  I  begged  her  to  do  just  as  she 
pleased;  adding  a  request,  however,  that  she  would  select 
such  others  of  my  sister's  ornaments  as  might  be  most  agree- 

12 


178  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

able  to  herself.  On  this  point  I  was  a  little  earnest,  since 
the  pearls  were  not  worth  the  sum  Grace  had  mentioned  to 
me;  and  I  felt  persuaded  Lucy  would  not  wish  me  to  re- 
main her  debtor.  There  was  a  pair  of  bracelets,  in  par- 
ticular, that  Grace  had  highly  prized,  and  which  were  very 
pretty  in  themselves.  My  father  had  purchased  the  stones 
— rubies  of  some  beauty — in  one  of  his  voyages  for  my 
mother,  who  had  fancied  them  too  showy  for  her  to  wear. 
I  had  caused  them  to  be  set  for  Grace,  and  they  would  make 
a  very  suitable  ornament  for  Lucy;  and  were  to  be  so  much 
the  more  prized,  from  the  circumstance  that  Grace  had  once 
worn  them.  It  is  true,  they  contained  a  little,  though  very 
little  of  my  hair;  for  on  this  Grace  had  insisted;  but  this 
hair  was  rather  a  blemish,  and  might  easily  be  removed.  I 
said  as  much  in  my  letter. 

On  the  subject  of  my  sister^s  death  I  found  it  impossible 
to  write  much.  The  little  I  did  say,  however,  was  in  full 
accordance  with  her  own  feelings,  I  felt  persuaded,  and  I 
had  no  difficulty  in  believing  she  would  sympathize  in  all  I 
did  express,  and  in  much  that  I  had  not  words  to  express. 

On  the  subject  of  the  necklace,  I  did  find  language  to 
communicate  a  little,  though  it  was  done  in  the  part  of  the 
letter  where  a  woman  is  said  to  give  her  real  thoughts — the 
postscript.  In  answer  to  what  Lucy  had  said  on  the  subject 
of  my  own  necklace,  I  wrote  as  follows,  viz.: — "You  speak 
of  my  reserving  the  more  valuable  pearls  for  one  who,  at 
some  future  day,  may  become  my  wife.  I  confess  this  was 
my  own  intention,  originally;  and  very  pleasant  was  it  to 
me  to  fancy  that  one  so  dear  would  wear  pearls  that  had 
been  brought  up  out  of  the  sea  by  my  own  hands.  But, 
dearest  Lucy,  all  these  agreeable  and  delusive  anticipations 
have  vanished.  Depend  on  it,  I  shall  never  marry.  I  know 
that  declarations  of  this  sort,  in  young  men  of  three-and- 
twenty,  like  those  of  maidens  of  nineteen,  excite  a  smile 
oftener  than  they  produce  belief;  but  I  do  not  say  this 
without  reflection,  and,  I  may  add,  without  feeling.     She 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1/9 

whom  I  once  did  hope  to  persuade  to  marry  me,  although 
much  my  friend,  is  not  accustomed  to  view  me  with  the  eyes 
that  lead  to  love.  We  were  brought  together  under  circum- 
stances that  have  probably  induced  her  to  regard  me  more 
as  a  brother  than  as  a  suitor,  and  while  the  golden  moments 
have  passed  away,  her  affections  have  become  the  property 
of  another.  I  resemble,  in  this  particular  at  least,  our  re- 
gretted Grace,  and  am  not  likely  to  change.  My  nature 
may  be  sterner  and  my  constitution  stronger  than  those  of 
my  poor  sister  proved  to  be,  but  I  feel  I  cannot  love  twice ; 
not  as  I  have,  and  still  do  love,  most  certainly.  Why 
should  I  trouble  you  with  all  this,  however  .>  I  know  you 
will  not  accept  of  the  necklace — though  so  ready  to  give  me 
your  own  last  piece  of  gold  when  I  went  to  sea;  you  have 
ever  been  so  fastidious  as  to  refuse  everything  from  us  that 
had  the  least  appearance  of  a  pecuniary  obligation — and  it  is 
useless  to  say  more  about  it.  I  have  no  right  to  trouble  you 
with  my  griefs,  especially  at  a  moment  when  I  know  your  af- 
fectionate heart  is  suffering  so  deeply  from  our  recent  loss." 
I  will  confess  that,  while  writing  this,  I  fancied  I  was 
making  a  sort  of  half  declaration  to  Lucy;  one  that  might, 
at  least,  give  her  some  faint  insight  into  the  real  state  of 
my  heart;  and  I  had  a  melancholy  satisfaction  in  thinking 
that  the  dear  girl  might,  by  these  means,  learn  how  much  I 
had  prized  and  still  did  prize  her.  It  was  only  a  week  later, 
while  pondering  over  what  I  had  written,  the  idea  occurred 
to  me  that  every  syllable  I  had  said  would  apply  just  as 
well  to  Emily  Merton  as  to  Lucy  Hardinge.  Peculiar  cir- 
cumstances had  made  me  intimately  acquainted  with  our 
young  English  friend,  and  these  circumstances  might  well 
have  produced  the  very  results  I  had  mentioned.  We  all 
believed  Emily's  affections  to  be  engaged  to  Rupert,  who 
must  have  succeeded  during  my  absence  at  sea.  A  modest 
and  self-distrusting  nature,  like  that  of  Lucy's,  would  be 
very  apt  to  turn  to  any  other  than  herself  in  quest  of  the 
original  of  my  picture. 


l8o  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

These  letters  occupied  me  for  hours.  That  to  Lucy,  in 
particular,  was  very  long,  and  it  was  not  written  wholly 
without  care.  When  all  were  done  and  sealed,  and  en- 
veloped to  the  address  of  the  postmaster,  I  went  on  deck. 
The  pilot  and  Marble  had  not  been  idle  while  I  had  been 
below,  for  I  found  the  ship  just  weathering  the  southwest 
Spit,  a  position  that  enabled  me  to  make  a  fair  wind  of  it 
past  the  Hook  and  out  to  sea. 

Certainly  I  was  in  no  haste  to  quit  home.  I  was  leaving 
my  native  land,  Clawbonny,  the  grave  of  my'  sister,  and 
Lucy,  dearest  Lucy,  all  behind  me;  and,  at  such  an  instant, 
one  feels  the  ties  that  are  about  to  be  separated.  Still, 
every  seaman  is  anxious  for  an  offing,  and  glad  was  I  to  see 
the  head  of  the  Dawn  pointing  in  the  right  direction,  with 
her  yards  nearly  square,  and  a  foretopmast  studding-sail 
set.  The  pilot  was  all  activity,  and  Marble,  cool,  clear- 
headed in  his  duty,  and  instinctively  acquainted  with  every- 
thing belonging  to  a  vessel,  was  just  the  man  to  carry  out 
his  views  to  his  heart's  content. 

The  ship  went,  rising  and  falling  on  the  swells  of  the 
ocean,  that  now  began  to  make  themselves  felt,  past  the 
light  and  the  low  point  of  the  Hook,  within  a  few  minutes 
after  we  had  squared  away,  and,  once  more,  the  open  ocean 
lay  before  us.  I  could  not  avoid  smiling  at  Neb,  just  as  we 
opened  the  broad  waste  of  waters  and  got  an  unbroken 
view  of  the  rolling  ocean  to  the  southward.  The  fellow  was 
on  the  maintopsail  yard,  having  just  run  out,  and  lashed  the 
heel  of  a  topgallant  studding-sail  boom,  in  order  to  set  the 
sail.  Before  he  lay  in  to  the  mast,  he  raised  his  Herculean 
frame,  and  took  a  look  to  windward.  His  eyes  opened,  his 
nostrils  dilated,  and  I  fancied  he  resembled  a  hound  that 
scented  game  in  the  gale,  as  he  snuffed  the  sea  air  which 
came  fanning  his  glistening  face,  filled  with  the  salts  and 
peculiar  flavors  of  the  ocean.  I  question  if  Neb  thought  at 
all  of  Chloe  for  the  next  hour  or  two! 

As  soon  as  we  got  over  the  bar,  I  gave  the  pilot  my  pack- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  l8l 

age  and  he  got  into  his  boat.  It  was  not  necessary  to  shorten 
sail  in  order  to  do  this,  for  the  vessel's  way  did  not  exceed 
five  knots. 

"Do  you  see  the  sail,  hereaway  in  the  southeastern 
board  ?  "  said  the  pilot,  as  he  went  over  the  side,  pointing 
towards  a  white  speck  on  the  ocean ;  "  take  care  of  that  fel- 
low, and  give  him  as  wide  a  berth  as  possible,  or  he  may 
give  you  a  look  at  Halifax  or  Bermuda." 

"  Halifax  or  Bermuda!  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  either, 
and  shall  not  go  there.  Why  should  I  fear  that  sail.?  " 

"  On  account  of  your  cargo,  and  on  account  of  your  men. 
That  is  his  Majesty's  ship  Leander;  she  has  been  off  here, 
now,  more  than  a  week.  The  inward-bound  craft  say  she  is 
acting  under  some  new  orders,  and  they  name  several  ves- 
sels that  have  been  seen  heading  northeast  after  she  had 
boarded  them.  This  new  war  is  likely  to  lead  to  new  trou- 
bles on  the  coast,  and  it  is  well  for  all  outward-bound  ships 
to  be  on  the  lookout." 

''^ His  Majesty s  ship"  was  a  singular  expression  for  an 
American  to  use,  towards  any  sovereign,  twenty  years  after 
the  independence  of  the  country  was  acknowledged.  But  it 
was  common  then,  nor  has  it  ceased  entirely  even  among  the 
newspapers  of  the  present  hour;  so  much  harder  is  it  to 
substitute  a  new  language  than  to  produce  a  revolution. 
Notwithstanding  this  proof  of  bad  taste  in  the  pilot,  I  did 
not  disregard  his  caution.  There  had  been  certain  un- 
pleasant rumors  up  in  town  for  more  than  a  month,  that  the 
two  great  belligerents  would  be  apt  to  push  each  other  into 
the  old  excesses,  England  and  France  at  that  day  having 
such  a  monopoly  of  the  ocean  as  to  render  them  somewhat 
independent  of  most  of  the  old-fashioned  notions  of  the 
rights  of  neutrals.  As  for  America,  she  was  cursed  with 
the  cant  of  economy— an  evil  that  is  apt  to  produce  as  many 
bad  consequences  as  the  opposite  vice,  extravagance.  The 
money  paid  as  interest  on  the  sums  expended  in  the  war  of 
1812  might  have  maintained  a  navy  that  would  have  caused 


1 82  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

both  belligerents  to  respect  her  rights,  and  thereby  saved 
the  principal  entirely,  to  say  nothing  of  all  the  other  im- 
mense losses  dependent  on  an  interrupted  trade;  but  dema- 
gogues were  at  work  with  their  raven  throats,  and  it  is  not 
reasonable  to  expect  that  the  masses  can  draw  very  just  dis- 
tinctions on  the  subject  of  remote  interests,  when  present 
expenditure  is  the  question  immediately  before  them.  It  is 
true,  I  remember  a  modern  French  logician,  who  laid  down 
the  dogma  that  the  tendency  of  democracies  being  to  ex- 
cesses, if  you  give  a  people  the  power,  they  would  tax 
themselves  to  death ;  but,  however  true  this  theory  may  be  in 
the  main,  it  certainly  is  not  true  quoad  the  good  citizens  of 
the  great  model  republic.  It  was  bad  enough  to  be  accursed 
with  a  spurious  economy;  but  this  was  not  the  heaviest 
grievance  that  then  weighed  upon  the  national  interests. 
The  demon  of  faction,  party  spirit,  was  actively  at  work  in 
the  country;  and  it  was  almost  as  rare  to  find  a  citizen  who 
was  influenced  purely  by  patriotic  and  just  views,  as  it 
would  be  to  find  an  honest  man  in  the  galleys.  The  nation, 
as  a  rule,  was  either  English  or  French.  Some  swore  by 
the  First  Consul,  and  some  by  Billy  Pitt.  As  for  the  com- 
mercial towns,  taken  in  connection  with  the  upper  classes, 
these  were  little  more  than  so  many  reflections  of  English 
feeling,  exaggerated  and  rendered  still  more  factitious  by 
distance.  Those  who  did  not  swallow  all  that  the  English 
tories  chose  to  pour  down  their  throats  took  the  pillules 
Napoleons  without  gagging.  If  there  were  exceptions,  they 
were  very  few,  and  principally  among  travelled  men — pil- 
grims who,  by  approaching  the  respective  idols,  had  dis- 
covered they  were  made  by  human  hands! 

Impressment  at  sea,  and  out  of  neutral  vessels,  was  re- 
vived, as  a  matter  of  course,  with  the  renewal  of  the  war, 
and  all  American  ships  felt  the  expediency  of  avoiding 
cruisers  that  might  deprive  them  of  their  men.  Strange  as 
it  may  seem,  a  large  and  leading  class  of  Americans  justi- 
fied this  claim  of  the  English,  as  it  was  practised  on  board 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 83 

their  own  country's  vessels  1  What  will  not  men  defend 
when  blinded  and  excited  by  faction?  As  this  practice  was 
to  put  the  mariner  on  the  defensive,  and  to  assume  that 
every  man  was  an  Englishman  who  could  not  prove,  out  on 
the  ocean,  a  thousand  miles  from  land  perhaps,  that  he  was 
an  American,  it  followed  that  English  navy  officers  exer- 
cised a  jurisdiction  over  foreigners  and  under  a  foreign  flag, 
that  would  not  be  tolerated  in  the  Lord  High  Chancellor 
himself,  in  one  of  the  streets  of  London ;  that  of  throwing 
the  burden  of  proving  himself  innocent  on  the  accused 
party ! 

There  was  an  abundance  of  other  principles  that  were 
just  as  obvious,  and  just  as  unanswerable  as  this,  which 
were  violated  by  the  daily  practices  of  impressment,  but 
they  all  produced  no  effect  on  the  members  of  Congress  and 
public  writers  that  sustained  the  right  of  the  English,  who 
as  blindly  espoused  one  side  of  the  main  question  as  their 
opponents  espoused  the  other.  Men  acting  under  the  guid- 
ance of  factions  are  not  compos  mentis. 

I  think  I  may  say,  without  boasting  unreasonably  of  my 
own  good  sense,  that  I  have  kept  myself  altogether  aloof 
from  the  vortex  of  parties,  from  boyhood  to  the  present 
hour.  My  father  had  been  a  federalist,  but  a  federalist  a 
good  deal  cooled  off,  from  having  seen  foreign  countries, 
and  no  attempts  had  ever  been  made  to  make  me  believe 
that  black  was  white  in  the  interest  of  either  faction.  I 
knew  that  impressment  from  foreign  vessels,  out  of  the 
waters  of  Great  Britain  at  least,  could  be  defended  on  no 
other  ground  but  that  of  power;  and  as  for  colonial  produce, 
and  all  the  subtleties  that  were  dependent  on  its  transporta- 
tion, I  fancied  that  a  neutral  had  a  perfect  right  to  purchase 
of  one  belligerent  and  sell  to  another,  provided  he  found  it 
his  interest  so  to  do,  and  violated  no  positive — not  paper — 
blockade,  or  did  not  convey  articles  that  are  called  contra- 
band of  war.  • 

With  these  views,  then,  it  is  not  surprising  that  I  easily 


184  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

came  into  the  pilot's  opinion,  and  determined  to  give  the 
Leander  a  sufficient  berth,  as  sailors  express  it. 

The  Leander  was  a  fifty,  on  two  decks,  a  very  silly  sort 
of  a  craft,  though  she  had  manfully  played  her  part  at  the 
Nile,  and  on  one  or  two  other  rather  celebrated  occasions, 
and  was  a  good  vessel  of  the  build.  Still  I  felt  certain  the 
Dawn  could  get  away  from  her  under  tolerably  favorable  cir- 
cumstances. The  Leander  afterward  became  notorious,  on 
the  American  coast,  in  consequence  of  a  man  killed  in  a 
coaster  by  one  of  her  shot,  within  twenty  miles  of  the  spot 
where  I  now  saw  her,  an  event  that  had  its  share  in  awaken- 
ing the  feeling  that  produced  the  war  of  18 12 — a  war  of 
which  the  effects  are  just  beginning  to  be  made  manifest  in 
the  policy  of  the  republic;  a  fact,  by  the  way,  that  is  little 
understood  at  home  or  abroad.  The  Leander  was  a  fast 
ship  of  her  kind,  but  the  Dawn  was  a  fast  ship  of  any  kind, 
and  I  had  great  faith  in  her.  It  is  true,  the  fifty  had  the 
advantage  of  the  wind,  but  she  was  a  long  way  off,  well  to 
the  southward,  and  might  have  something  in  sight  that 
could  not  be  seen  even  from  our  topgallant  yards,  whither 
Neb  was  sent  to  take  a  look  at  the  horizon. 

Our  plan  was  soon  laid.  The  south  side  of  Long  Island 
trending  a  little  to  the  north  of  east,  I  ordered  the  ship  to 
be  steered  east-by-south,  which,  with  the  wind  at  south- 
southwest,  gave  me  an  opportunity  to  carry  all  our  stud- 
ding-sails. The  soundings  were  as  regular  as  the  ascent  on 
the  roof  of  a  shed,  or  on  that  of  a  graded  lawn,  and  the  land 
in  sight  less  than  two  leagues  distant.  In  this  manner  we 
ran  down  the  coast,  with  about  six  knots'  way  on  the  ship, 
as  soon  as  we  got  from  under  the  Jersey  shore. 

In  less  than  an  hour,  or  when  we  were  about  four  leagues 
from  Sandy  Hook  light,  the  Englishman  wore  short  round, 
and  made  sail  to  cut  us  off.  By  this  time  he  was  just  for- 
ward of  our  weather-beam,  a  position  that  did  not  enable 
him  to  carry  studding-sails  on  both  sides,  for  had  he  kept 
off  enough  for  this  he  would  have  fallen   into  our  wake, 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 85 

while,  by  edging  away  to  close  with  us,  his  after-sails  be- 
calmed the  forward,  and  this  at  the  moment  when  everything 
of  ours  pulled  like  a  team  of  well-broken  cart-horses.  Not- 
withstanding all  this  we  had  a  nervous  afternoon's  and 
night's  work  of  it.  These  old  fifties  are  great  travellers  off 
the  wind;  and  more  than  once  I  fancied  the  Leander  was 
going  to  lay  across  my  bows,  as  she  did  athwart  those  of  the 
Frenchman  at  the  Nile.  The  Dawn,  however,  was  not  idle, 
and  as  the  wind  stood  all  that  day,  throughout  the  night, 
and  was  fresher,  though  more  to  the  southward  than  it  had 
hitherto  been,  next  morning,  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
Montauk  a  little  on  my  lee-bow,  at  sunrise,  while  my  pur- 
suer was  still  out  of  gunshot  on  my  weather-beam. 

Marble  and  I  now  held  a  consultation  on  the  subject  of 
the  best  mode  of  proceeding.  I  was  half  disposed  to  let  the 
Leander  come  up  and  send  a  boat  on  board  us.  What  had 
we  to  fear?  We  were  bound  to  Hamburg  with  a  cargo,  one 
half  of  which  came  from  the  English,  while  the  other  half 
came  from  the  French  islands.  But  what  of  that?  Marble, 
however,  would  not  listen  to  such  a  project.  He  affirmed 
that  he  was  a  good  pilot  in  all  the  sounds,  and  that  it  would 
be  better  to  risk  everything  rather  than  let  that  fifty  close 
with  us. 

"  Keep  the  ship  away  for  Montauk,  sir,"  exclaimed  the 
mate;  "keep  her  away  for  Montauk,  and  let  that  chap  fol- 
low us  if  he  dare!  There's  a  reef  or  two  inside  that  I'll 
engage  to  lead  him  on,  should  he  choose  to  try  the  game, 
and  that  will  cure  him  of  his  taste  for  chasing  a  Yankee." 

"  Will  you  engage,  Moses,  to  carry  the  ship  over  the 
shoals,  if  I  will  do  as  you  desire,  and  go  inside?  " 

"  I'll  carry  her  into  any  port  east  of  Block  Island,  Cap- 
tain Wallingford.  Though  New  York  born,  as  it  now  turns 
out,  I'm  *  down -east '  edicated,  and  have  got  a  *  coasting  pilot ' 
of  my  own  in  my  head." 

This  settled  the  matter,  and  I  came  to  the  resolution  to 
stand  on. 


1 86  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

The  wind  blows  fair,  the  vessel  feelt 

The  pressure  of  the  rising  breeze, 
And,  swiftest  of  a  thousand  keels. 

She  leaps  to  the  careering  seas. 

Willis. 

Half  an  hour  later,  things  drew  near  a  crisis.  We  had 
been  obliged  to  luff  a  little,  in  order  to  clear  a  reef  that  even 
Marble  admitted  lay  off  Montauk,  while  the  Leander  had 
kept  quite  as  much  away,  with  a  view  to  close.  This 
brought  the  fifty  so  near  us,  directly  on  our  weather-beam, 
as  to  induce  her  commander  to  try  the  virtue  of  gunpowder. 
Her  bow-gun  was  fired,  and  its  shot,  only  a  twelve-pounder, 
ricochetted  until  it  fairly  passed  our  fore-foot,  distant  a  hun- 
dred yards,  making  its  last  leap  from  the  water  precisely  in 
a  line  with  the  stem  of  the  Dawn.  This  was  unequivocal 
evidence  that  the  game  could  not  last  much  longer,  unless 
the  space  between  the  two  vessels  should  be  sensibly 
widened.  Fortunately,  we  now  opened  Montauk  fort,  and 
the  option  was  offered  us  of  doubling  that  point,  and  enter- 
ing the  Sound,  or  of  standing  on  toward  Block  Island,  and 
putting  the  result  on  our  heels.  After  a  short  consultation 
with  Marble,  I  decided  on  the  first. 

One  of  the  material  advantages  possessed  by  a  man-of-war 
in  a  chase  with  a  merchant-vessel  is  in  the  greater  veloci- 
ty with  which  her  crew  can  make  or  take  in  sail.  I  knew 
that  the  moment  we  began  to  touch  our  braces,  tacks,  and 
sheets,  the  Leander  would  do  the  same,  and  that  she  would 
effect  her  objects  in  half  the  time  in  which  we  could  effect 
ours.  Nevertheless,  the  thing  was  to  be  done,  and  we  set 
about  the  preparations  with  care  and  assiduity.  It  was  a 
small  matter  to  round  in  our  weather-braces,  until  the 
yards  were  nearly  square,  but  the  rigging  out  of  her  stud- 
ding-sail booms  and  the  setting  of  the  sails  was  a  job  to 
occupy  the  Dawn's  people  several  minutes.     Marble  sug- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 8/ 

gested  that,  by  edging  gradually  away,  we  should  bring  the 
Leander  so  far  on  our  quarter  as  to  cause  the  after-sails  to 
conceal  what  we  were  about  forward,  and  that  we  might 
steal  a  march  on  our  pursuers  by  adopting  this  precaution. 
I  thought  the  suggestion  a  good  one,  and  the  necessary 
orders  were  given  to  carry  it  out. 

Any  one  might  be  certain  that  the  Englishman's  glasses 
were  levelled  on  us  the  whole  time.  Some  address  was  used, 
therefore,  in  managing  to  get  our  yards  in  without  showing 
the  people  at  the  braces.  This  was  done  by  keeping  off 
first,  and  then  by  leading  the  ropes  as  far  forward  as  possible, 
and  causing  the  men  to  haul  on  them,  seated  on  deck.  In 
this  manner  we  got  our  yards  nearly  square,  or  as  much  in  as 
our  new  course  required,  when  we  sent  hands  aloft,  forward, 
to  get  out  the  lee  booms.  But  we  reckoned  without  our  host. 
John  Bull  was  not  to  be  caught  in  that  way.  The  hands 
were  hardly  in  the  lee  fore-rigging,  before  I  saw  the  fifty 
falling  off  to  our  course,  her  yards  squared,  and  signs  aboard 
her  that  she  had  larboard  studding-sails  as  well  as  ourselves. 
The  change  of  course  had  one  good  effect,  however;  it 
brought  our  pursuer  so  far  on  our  quarter  that,  standing  at 
the  capstan,  I  saw  him  through  the  mizzen-rigging.  This 
took  the  Dawn  completely  from  under  the  Leander's  broad- 
side, leaving  us  exposed  to  merely  four  or  five  of  her  for- 
ard  guns,  should  she  see  fit  to  use  them.  Whether  the  Eng- 
lish were  reluctant  to  resort  to  such  very  decided  means  of 
annoyance,  so  completely  within  the  American  waters  as  we 
were  clearly  getting  to  be,  or  whether  they  had  so  much 
confidence  in  their  speed  as  to  feel  no  necessity  for  firing,  I 
never  knew;  but  they  did  not  have  any  further  recourse  to 
shot. 

As  might  have  been  foreseen,  the  fifty  had  her  extra  can- 
vas spread  some  time  before  we  could  open  ours,  and  I 
fancied  she  showed  the  advantage  thus  obtained  in  her  rate 
of  sailing.  She  certainly  closed  with  us,  though  we  closed 
much  faster  with  the  land;  still,  there  was  imminent  danger 


1 88  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

of  her  overhauling  us  before  we  could  round  the  point,  un- 
less some  decided  step  were  promptly  taken  to  avoid  it. 

"  On  the  whole,  Mr.  Marble,"  I  said,  after  my  mates  and 
myself  had  taken  a  long  and  thoughtful  look  at  the  actual 
state  of  things — "  on  the  whole,  Mr.  Marble,  it  may  be  well 
to  take  in  our  light  sails,  haul  our  wind,  and  let  the  man-of- 
war  come  up  with  us.  We  are  honest  folk,  and  there  is  little 
risk  in  his  seeing  all  that  we  have  to  show  him." 

" Never  think  of  it!"  cried  the  mate.  "After  this  long 
pull,  the  fellow  will  be  as  savage  as  a  bgar  with  a  sore  head. 
He'd  not  leave  a  hand  on  board  us  that  can  take  his  trick 
at  the  wheel ;  and  it's  ten  chances  to  one  that  he  would  send 
the  ship  to  Halifax,  under  some  pretence  or  other,  that  the 
sugars  are  not  sweet  enough,  or  that  the  coffee  was  grown  in 
a  French  island,  and  tastes  French.  No — no — Captain 
Wallingford — here's  the  wind  at  sou'-sou'-west,  and  we're 
heading  nothe-east  and  by  nothe-half-nothe  already,  with 
that  fellow  abaft  the  mizzen-riggin';  as  soon  as  we  get  a 
p'int  more  to  the  nor'ard,  we'll  have  him  fairly  in  our  wake." 

"Ay,  that  will  do  very  well  as  a  theory,  but  what  can  we 
make  of  it  in  practice  ?  We  are  coming  up  toward  Montauk 
at  the  rate  of  eight  knots,  and  you  have  told  me  yourself 
there  is  a  reef  off  that  point,  directly  toward  which  we  must 
this  moment  be  standing.  At  this  rate,  fifteen  minutes 
might  break  us  up  into  splinters." 

I  could  see  that  Marble  was  troubled,  by  the  manner  in 
which  he  rolled  his  tobacco  about,  and  the  riveted  gaze  he 
kept  on  the  water  ahead.  I  had  the  utmost  confidence  in 
his  seaman-like  prudence  and  discretion,  while  I  knew  he 
was  capable  of  suggesting  anything  a  ship  could  possibly 
perform,  in  an  emergency  that  called  for  such  an  exercise  of 
decision.  At  that  moment,  he  forgot  our  present  relations, 
and  went  back,  as  he  often  did  when  excited,  to  the  days  of 
our  greater  equality  and  more  trying  scenes. 

"  Harkee,  Miles,"  he  said,  "the  reef  is  dead  ahead  of  us, 
but  there  is  a  passage  between  it  and  the  point.     I  went 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 89 

through  that  passage  in  the  revvylution  war,  in  chase  of  an 
English  West  Injyman,  and  stood  by  the  lead  the  whole 
way,  myself.  Keep  her  away,  Neb — keep  her  away,  another 
p*int:  so — steady — very  well,  dyce  (anglice  thus) — keep  her 
so,  and  let  John  Bull  follow  us,  if  he  dare." 

"  You  should  be  very  sure  of  your  channel,  Mr.  Marble," 
I  said,  gravely,  "to  take  so  much  responsibility  on  yourself. 
Remember  my  all  is  embarked  in  this  ship,  and  the  insur- 
ance will  not  be  worth  a  sixpence  if  we  are  lost  running 
through  such  a  place  as  this  in  broad  daylight.  Reflect  a 
moment,  I  beg  of  you,  if  not  certain  of  what  you  do." 

"And  what  will  the  insurance  be  worth  ag'in  Halifax  or 
Bermuda?  I'll  put  my  life  on  the  channel,  and  would  care 
more  for  your  ship.  Miles,  than  my  own.  If  you  love  me, 
stand  on,  and  let  us  see  if  that  lubberly  make-believe  two- 
decker  dare  follow." 

I  was  fain  to  comply,  though  I  ran  a  risk  that  I  find  it 
impossible  now  to  justify  to  myself.  I  had  my  cousin  John 
Wallingford's  property  in  charge,  as  well  as  my  own,  or 
what  was  quite  as  bad,  I  placed  Clawbonny  in  imminent 
jeopardy.  Still,  my  feelings  were  aroused,  and  to  the  ex- 
citement of  a  race  were  added  the  serious  but  vague  appre- 
hensions all  American  seamen  felt,  in  that  day,  of  the  great 
belligerents.  It  is  a  singular  proof  of  human  justice  that 
the  very  consequences  of  these  apprehensions  are  made  mat- 
ter of  reproach  against  them. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  dwell  further  on  the  policy  of 
England  and  France,  during  their  great  contest  for  superior- 
ity, than  is  necessary  to  the  narrative  of  events  connected 
with  my  own  adventures;  but  a  word  in  behalf  of  American 
seamen  in  passing  may  not  be  entirely  out  of  place  or 
season.  Men  are  seldom  wronged  without  being  calumni- 
ated, and  the  body  of  men  of  which  I  was  then  one  did  not 
escape  that  sort  of  reparation  for  all  the  grievances  they  en- 
dured, which  is  dependent  on  demonstrating  that  the  injured 
deserved  their  sufferings.     We  have  been  accused  of  mis- 


IQO  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

leading  English  cruisers  by  false  information,  of  being  liars 
to  an  unusual  degree,  and  of  manifesting  a  grasping  love  of 
gold  beyond  the  ordinary  cupidity  of  man.  Now  I  will  ask 
our  accusers  if  it  were  at  all  extraordinary  that  they  who 
felt  themselves  daily  aggrieved  should  resort  to  the  means 
within  their  power  to  avenge  themselves?  As  for  veracity, 
no  one  who  has  reached  my  present  time  of  life  can  be 
ignorant  that  truth  is  the  rarest  thing  in  the  world,  nor  are 
those  who  have  been  the  subjects  of  mystifications  got  up  in 
the  payment  for  wrongs,  supposed  or  real,  the  most  impartial 
judges  of  character  or  facts.  As  for  the  charge  of  an  undue 
love  of  money,  it  is  unmerited.  Money  will  do  less  in 
America  than  in  any  other  country  of  my  acquaintance,  and 
infinitely  less  than  in  either  France  or  England. 

There  is  truth  in  this  accusation,  as  applied  either  to  a 
particular  class  or  to  the  body  of  the  American  people,  only 
in  one  respect.  It  is  undeniable  that,  as  a  new  nation,  with 
a  civilization  that  is  wanting  in  so  many  of  its  higher  qual- 
ities, while  it  is  already  so  far  advanced  in  those  which 
form  the  basis  of  national  greatness,  money  does  not  meet 
with  the  usual  competition  among  us.  The  institutions, 
too,  by  dispensing  with  hereditary  consideration,  do  away 
with  a  leading  and  prominent  source  of  distinction  that  is 
known  to  other  systems,  thus  giving  to  riches  an  exclusive 
importance  that  is  rather  apparent,  however,  than  real.  I 
acknowledge  that  little  or  no  consideration  is  yet  given 
among  us  to  any  of  the  more  intellectual  pursuits,  the  great 
bulk  of  the  nation  regarding  literary  men,  artists,  even  pro- 
fessional men,  as  so  many  public  servants,  that  are  to  be 
used  like  any  other  servants,  respecting  them  and  their 
labors  only  as  they  can  contribute  to  the  great  stock  of  na- 
tional wealth  and  renown.  This  is  owing,  in  part,  to  the 
youth  of  a  country  in  which  most  of  the  material  foundation 
was  so  recently  to  be  laid,  and  in  part  to  the  circumstance 
that  men,  being  under  none  of  the  factitious  restraints  of 
other  systems,  coarse  and  vulgar-minded  declaimers  make 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I9I 

themselves  heard  and  felt  to  a  degree  that  would  not  be  tol- 
erated elsewhere. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  defects,  which  no  intelligent, 
and  least  of  all,  no  travelled  American  should  or  can  justly 
deny,  I  will  maintain  that  gold  is  not  one  tittle  more  the 
goal  of  the  American  than  it  is  of  the  native  of  other  active 
and  energetic  communities.  It  is  true,  there  is  little  besides 
gold,  just  now,  to  aim  at  in  this  country,  but  the  great  num- 
ber of  young  men  who  devote  themselves  to  letters  and  the 
arts,  under  such  unfavorable  circumstances,  a  number  greatly 
beyond  the  knowledge  of  foreign  nations,  proves  it  is  cir- 
cumstances, and  not  the  grovelling  propensities  of  the  people 
themselves,  that  give  gold  a  so  nearly  undisputed  ascend- 
ency. The  great  numbers  who  devote  themselves  to  politics 
among  us,  certainly  anything  but  a  money-making  pursuit, 
prove  that  it  is  principally  the  want  of  other  avenues  to 
distinction  that  renders  gold  apparently  the  sole  aim  of 
American  existence.  To  return  from  this  touch  of  phil- 
osophy to  our  ships. 

The  progress  of  the  Dawn  soon  left  us  no  choice  in  the 
course  to  be  steered.  We  could  see  by  the  charts  that  the 
reef  was  already  outside  of  us,  and  there  was  now  no  alterna- 
tive between  going  ashore,  or  going  through  Marble's  chan- 
nel. We  succeeded  in  the  last,  gaining  materially  on  the 
Leander  by  so  doing,  the  Englishman  hauling  his  wind  when 
he  thought  himself  as  near  to  the  danger  as  was  prudent, 
and  giving  up  the  chase.  I  ran  on  to  the  northward  an  hour 
longer,  when,  finding  our  pursuer  was  hull  down  to  the 
southward  and  westward,  I  took  in  our  larboard  studding- 
sails,  and  brought  the  ship  by  the  wind,  passing  out  to  sea 
again,  to  the  eastward  of  Block  Island. 

Great  was  the  exultation  on  board  the  Dawn  at  this 
escape,  for  escape  it  proved  to  be.  Next  morning,  at  sun- 
rise, we  saw  a  sail  a  long  distance  to  the  westward,  which 
we  supposed  to  be  the  Ltfander,  but  she  did  not  give  chase. 
Marble  and  the  people  were  delighted  at  having  given  John 


192  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Bull  the  slip,  while  I  learned  caution  from  the  occurrence, 
determining  not  to  let  another  vessel-of-warget  near  enough 
to  trouble  me  again,  could  I  possibly  prevent  it. 

From  this  time,  for  twenty  days,  the  passage  of  the  Dawn 
had  nothing  unusual.  We  crossed  the  Banks  in  forty-six, 
and  made  as  straight  a  course  for  the  western  extremity  of 
England  as  the  winds  would  allow.  For  several  days  I  was 
uncertain  whether  to  go  north-about  or  not,  believing  that  I 
should  fall  in  with  fewer  cruisers  by  doubling  Scotland  than 
by  running  up  Channel.  The  latter  was  much  the  nearest 
route,  though  so  much  depends  on  the  winds,  that  I  deter- 
mined to  let  these  last  govern.  Until  we  had  made  two- 
thirds  of  our  distance  across  the  ocean,  the  winds  had  stood 
very  much  at  southwest,  and  though  we  had  no  heavy 
weather  our  progress  was  good;  but  in  20°  east  from  Green- 
wich we  got  northeasters,  and  our  best  tack  being  the  lar- 
board, I  stood  for  ten  days  to  the  southward  and  eastward. 
This  brought  us  into  the  track  of  everything  going  to  or 
coming  from  the  Mediterranean,  and,  had  we  stood  on  far 
enough,  we  should  have  made,  the  land  somewhere  in  the 
Bay  of  Biscay.  I  knew  we  should  find  the  ocean  dotted  with 
English  cruisers,  however,  as  soon  as  we  got  into  European 
waters,  and  we  tacked  to  the  northwest  when  about  a  hun- 
dred leagues  from  the  land. 

The  thirty-third  day  out  proved  one  of  great  importance 
to  me.  The  wind  had  shifted  to  southwest,  and  it  was  blow- 
ing fresh,  with  very  thick  weather — rain  mingled  with  a  fine 
mist — that  often  prevented  one's  seeing  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  ship.  The  change  occurred  at  midnight,  and  there 
was  every  prospect  of  the  wind's  standing  until  it  shoved  us 
into  the  chops  of  the  Channel,  from  which  we  were  then 
distant  about  four  hundred  miles,  according  to  my  own  cal- 
culation. Marble  had  the  watch  at  four  o'clock,  and  he  sent 
for  me  that  I  might  decide  on  the  course  to  be  steered  and 
the  sail  to  be  carried.  The  course  was  north-north-east;  but, 
as  for  the  sail,  I  determined  to  stand  on  under  our  topsails 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 93 

and  fore-course,  spanker  and  jib,  until  I  could  get  a  look  by 
daylight.  When  the  sun  was  fairly  up,  there  was  no  change, 
and  I  gave  orders  to  get  along  some  of  the  larger  studding- 
sails,  and  to  set  the  main-topgallant-sail,  having  my  doubts 
whether  the  spars  would  bear  any  more  canvas  under  the 
stiff  breeze  that  was  blowing. 

"  This  is  no  great  distance  from  the  spot  where  we  sur- 
prised the  Lady  of  Nantes,  Captain  Wallingford,"  Marble 
observed  to  me,  as  I  stood  overlooking  the  process  of  bend- 
ing a  foretopmast  studding-sail,  in  which  he  was  engaged 
with  his  own  hands,  "nor  was  the  weather  any  thicker 
then  than  it  is  now,  though  that  was  a  haze,  and  this  is  a 
mist." 

"  You  are  out  of  your  longitude  a  few  hundred  miles, 
Master  Moses,  but  the  comparison  is  well  enough  otherwise. 
We  have  twice  the  wind  and  sea  we  had  then,  moreover, 
and  that  was  dry  weather,  while  this  is,  to  speak  more  gin- 
gerly, a  little  moist." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir;  there  is  just  that  difference.  Them  were 
pleasant  days.  Captain  Wallingford.  I  say  nothing  ag'in 
these;  but  them  *ere  were  pleasant  times,  as  all  in  the  Crisis 
must  allow." 

"  Perhaps  we  shall  think  the  same  of  these  some  five  or 
six  years  hence." 

"  Well,  that's  natur',  I  must  confess.  It's  amazing  how 
the  last  v'yage  hangs  in  a  man's  memory,  and  how  little  we 
think  of  the  present !  I  suppose  the  Lord  made  us  all  of 
this  disposition,  for  it's  sartin  we  all  manifest  it.  Come, 
bear  a  hand.  Neb,  on  that  fore-yard,  and  let  us  see  the  length 
of  the  stu'n-sail  boom." 

But  Neb,  contrary  to  his  habits,  stood  upright  on  the 
yard,  holding  on  by  the  lift,  and  looking  over  the  weather- 
leach  of  the  topsail,  apparently  at  some  object  that  either 
was  just  then  visible,  or  which  had  just  before  been  visible. 

"What  is  it?"  cried  Marble,  struck  with  the  black's  atti- 
tude and  manner.     "What  d'ye  see?" 
»3 


194  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"I  don't  see  him  now,  sir;  nuttin'  now;  but  dere  was  a 
ship." 

"  Where-away?  "  I  demanded. 

"Off,  here,  Masser  Mile — larboard  bow,  well  forrard; 
look  sharp,  and  soon  see  him,  yourself,  sir." 

Sharp  enough  we  did  look,  all  hands  of  us  on  deck,  and, 
in  less  than  a  minute,  we  caught  a  pretty  good  view  of  the 
stranger  from  the  forecastle.  He  might  have  been  visible 
to  us  half  a  minute,  in  one  of  those  momentary  openings  in 
the  mist  that  were  constantly  occurring,  and  which  enabled 
the  eye  to  command  a  range  around  the  ship  of  half  a  mile, 
losing  it  again,  however,  almost  as  soon  as  it  was  obtained. 
Notwithstanding  the  distance  of  time,  I  can  perfectly  recall 
the  appearance  of  that  vessel,  seen  as  she  was,  for  a  moment 
only,  and  seen  too  so  unexpectedly.  It  was  a  frigate,  as 
frigates  then  were;  or  a  ship  of  that  medium  size  between  a 
heavy  sloop-of-war  and  a  two-decker  which,  perhaps,  offers 
the  greatest  proportions  for  activity  and  force.  We  plainly 
saw  her  cream-colored,  or,  as  it  is  more  usual  to  term  it,  her 
yellow  streak,  dotted  with  fourteen  ports,  including  the 
bridle,  and  gleaming  brightly  in  contrast  to  the  dark  and 
glistening  hull,  over  which  the  mist  and  the  spray  of  the 
ocean  cast  a  species  of  sombre  lustre.  The  stranger  was 
under  his  three  topsails,  spanker,  and  jib,  each  of  the  former 
sails  being  double-reefed.  His  courses  were  in  the  brails. 
As  the  wind  did  not  blow  hard  enough  to  bring  a  vessel  of 
any  size  to  more  than  one  reef,  even  on  a  bowline,  this 
short  canvas  proved  that  the  frigate  was  on  her  cruising 
ground,  and  was  roaming  about  in  quest  of  anything  that 
might  offer.  This  was  just  the  canvas  to  give  a  cruiser  a 
wicked  look,  since  it  denoted  a  lazy  preparation,  which 
might,  in  an  instant,  be  improved  into  mischief.  As  all 
cruising  vessels,  when  on  their  stations  doing  nothing,  reef 
at  night,  and  the  hour  was  still  early,  it  was  possible  we 
had  made  this  ship  before  her  captain,  or  first  lieutenant, 
had  made  his  appearance  on  deck.     There  she  was,  at  all 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  I95 

events,  dark,  lustrous,  fair  in  her  proportions,  her  yards 
looming  square  and  symmetrical,  her  canvas  damp,  but  stout 
and  new,  the  copper  bright  as  a  tea-kettle,  resembling  a  new 
cent,  her  hammock-cloths  with  the  undress  appearance  this 
part  of  a  vessel-of-war  usually  offers  at  night,  and  her  quar- 
ter-deck and  forecastle  guns  frowning  through  the  lanyards 
of  her  lower  rigging,  like  so  many  slumbering  bull-dogs 
muzzled  in  their  kennels. 

The  frigate  was  on  an  easy  bowline,  or,  to  speak  more 
correctly,  was  standing  directly  across  our  fore-foot,  with 
her  yards  nearly  square.  In  a  very  few  minutes,  each  keep- 
ing her  present  course,  the  two  ships  would  have  passed 
within  pistol-shot  of  each  other.  I  scarce  knew  the  nature 
of  the  sudden  impulse  which  induced  me  to  call  out  to  the 
man  at  the  wheel  to  starboard  his  helm.  It  was  probably 
from  instinctive  apprehension  that  it  were  better  for  a  neu- 
tral to  have  as  little  to  do  with  a  belligerent  as  possible, 
mingled  with  a  presentiment  that  I  might  lose  some  of  my 
people  by  impressment.  Call  out  I  certainly  did,  and  the 
Dawn's  bows  came  up  to  the  wind,  looking  to  the  westward 
or  in  a  direction  contrary  to  that  in  which  the  frigate  was 
running,  as  her  yards  were  square,  or  nearly  so.  As  soon 
as  the  weather-leaches  touched,  the  helm  was  righted,  and 
away  we  went  with  the  wind  abeam,  with  about  as  much 
breeze  as  we  wanted  for  the  sail  we  carried. 

The  Dawn  might  have  been  half  a  mile  to  windward  of 
the  frigate  when  this  manoeuvre  was  put  in  execution.  We 
were  altogether  ignorant  whether  our  own  ship  had  been 
seen,  but  the  view  we  got  of  the  stranger  satisfied  us  that  he 
was  an  Englishman.  Throughout  the  whole  of  the  long  wars 
that  succeeded  the  French  Revolution,  the  part  of  the  ocean 
which  lay  off  the  chops  of  the  Channel  was  vigilantly  watched 
by  the  British,  and  it  was  seldom,  indeed,  a  vessel  could  go 
over  it  without  meeting  one  or  more  of  their  cruisers. 

I  was  not  without  a  hope*that  the  two  ships  would  pass 
each  other  without  our  being  seen.     The  mist  became  very 


196  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

thick  just  as  we  hauled  up,  and  had  this  change  of  course 
taken  place  after  we  were  shut  in,  the  chances  were  greatly 
in  favor  of  its  being  effected.  Once  distant  a  mile  from  the 
frigate,  there  was  little  danger  of  her  getting  a  glimpse  of 
us,  since,  throughout  all  that  morning,  I  was  satisfied  we 
had  not  got  a  horizon  with  that  much  of  diameter. 

As  a  matter  of  course  the  preparations  with  the  studding- 
sails  were  suspended.  Neb  was  ordered  to  lay  aloft,  as  high 
as  the  cross-trees,  and  to  keep  a  vigilant  look-out,  while  all 
eyes  on  deck  were  watching  as  anxiously  in  the  mist,  as  we 
had  formerly  watched  for  the  shadowy  outline  of  la  Dame 
de  Nantes.  Marble's  long  experience  told  him  best  where 
to  look,  and  he  caught  the  next  view  of  the  frigate.  She 
was  directly  under  our  lee,  gliding  easily  along  under  the 
same  canvas;  the  reefs  still  in,  the  courses  in  the  brails, 
and  the  spanker  rolled  up,  as  it  had  been  for  the  night. 

"  By  George,"  cried  the  mate,  "  all  them  Johnny  Bulls  are 
still  asleep,  and  they  haven't  seen  us!  If  we  can  give  this 
fellow  the  slip,  as  we  did  the  old  Leander,  Captain  Walling- 
ford,  the  Dawn  will  become  as  famous  as  the  Flying  Dutch- 
man! See,  there  he  jogs  on  as  if  going  to  mill  or  to  church, 
and  no  more  stir  aboard  him  than  there  is  in  a  Quaker 
meetin' !  How  my  good  old  soul  of  a  mother  would  enjoy 
this!" 

There  the  frigate  went,  sure  enough,  without  the  smallest 
sign  of  any  alarm  having  been  given  on  board  her.  The 
vessels  had  actually  passed  each  other,  and  the  mist  was 
thickening  again.  Presently  the  veil  was  drawn,  and  the 
form  of  that  beautiful  ship  was  entirely  hid  from  sight. 
Marble  rubbed  his  hands  with  delight,  and  all  our  people 
began  to  joke  at  the  expense  of  the  Englishman.  "If  a 
merchantman  could  see  a  man-of-war,"  it  was  justly  enough 
said,  "  a  man-of-war  ought  certainly  to  see  a  merchantman." 
Her  look-outs  must  have  all  been  asleep,  or  it  would  not 
have  been  possible  for  us  to  pass  so  near,  under  the  canvas 
we  carried,  and  escape  undiscovered.     Most  of  the  Dawn's 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  IQ/ 

crew  were  native  Americans,  though  there  were  four  or  five 
Europeans  among  them.  Of  these  last,  one  was  certainly 
an  Englishman,  and,  as  I  suspected,  a  deserter  from  a  public 
ship;  and  the  other,  beyond  all  controversy,  was  a  plant  of 
the  Emerald  Isle.  These  two  men  were  particularly  de- 
lighted, though  well  provided  with  those  veracious  docu- 
ments called  protections — which,  like  beggars'  certificates, 
never  told  anything  but  truth,  though,  like  beggars'  certifi- 
cates, they  not  unfrequently  fitted  one  man  as  well  as  an- 
other. It  was  the  well-established  laxity  in  the  character  of 
this  testimony  that  gave  the  English  officers  something  like 
a  plausible  pretext  for  disregarding  all  evidence  in  the 
premises.  Their  mistake  was  in  supposing  they  had  a  right 
to  make  a  man  prove  anything  on  board  a  foreign  ship; 
while  that  of  America  was  in  permitting  her  citizens  to  be 
arraigned  before  foreign  judges  under  any  conceivable  cir- 
cumstances. If  England  wanted  her  own  men,  let  her  keep 
them  within  her  own  jurisdiction,  not  attempt  to  follow 
them  into  the  jurisdiction  of  neutral  states. 

Well,  the  ship  had  passed;  and  I  began  myself  to  fancy 
that  we  were  quit  of  a  troublesome  neighbor,  when  Neb 
came  down  the  rigging,  in  obedience  to  an  order  from  the 
mate. 

"Relieve  the  wheel.  Master  Clawbonny,"  said  Marble, 
who  often  gave  the  negro  his  patronymic;  "we  may  want 
some  of  your  touches  before  we  reach  the  foot  of  the  dance. 
Which  way  was  John  Bull  travelling  when  you  last  saw 
him?" 

"  He  goin'  eastward,  sir."  Neb  was  never  half  as  much 
"nigger"  at  sea  as  when  he  was  on  shore — there  being 
something  in  his  manly  calling  that  raised  him  nearer  to 
the  dignity  of  white  men.  "But,  sir,  he  was  gettin' his 
people  ready  to  make  sail." 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  No  such  thing,  sir;  all  hands 
were  asleep,  taking  their  second  naps." 

"  Well,  you  see,  Misser  Marble ;  den  you  know^  sir." 


igS  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Neb  grinned  as  he  said  this;  and  I  felt  persuaded  he  had 
seen  something  that  he  understood,  but  which  very  possibly 
he  could  not  explain ;  though  it  clearly  indicated  that  John 
Bull  was  not  asleep.  We  were  not  left  long  in  doubt  on 
this  head.  The  mist  opened  again,  and,  distant  from  us 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  bearing  on  our  lee-quarter, 
we  got  another  look  at  the  frigate,  and  a  look  that  satisfied 
everybody  what  she  was  about.  The  Englishman  was  in 
stays,  in  the  very  act  of  hauling  his  head-yards,  a  certain 
sign  he  was  a  quick  and  sure-working  fellow,  since  this  ma- 
noeuvre had  been  performed  against  a  smart  sea,  and  under 
double-reefed  topsails.  He  must  have  made  us,  just  as  we 
lost  sight  of  him,  and  was  about  to  shake  out  his  reefs. 

On  this  occasion,  the  frigate  may  have  been  visible  from 
our  decks  three  minutes.  I  watched  all  her  movements,  as 
the  cat  watches  the  mouse.  In  the  first  place  her  reefs  were 
shaken  out,  as  the  ship's  bows  fell  off  far  enough  to  get  the 
sea  on  the  right  side  of  them,  and  her  topsails  appeared  to 
me  to  be  mast-headed  by  instinct,  or  as  the  bird  extends  its 
wings.  The  fore  and  main-topgallant-sails  were  fluttering 
in  the  breeze  at  this  very  moment — it  blew  rather  too  fresh 
for  the  mizzen — and  then  their  bosoms  were  distended,  and 
their  bowlines  hauled.  How  the  fore  and  main-tacks  got 
aboard  I  could  not  tell,  though  it  was  done  while  my  eyes 
were  on  the  upper  sails.  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  fore- 
sheet,  however,  as  the  clew  was  first  flapping  violently,  and 
then  was  brought  under  the  restraint  of  its  own  proper, 
powerful  purchase.  The  spanker  had  been  hauled  out  previ- 
ously, to  help  the  ship  in  tacking. 

There  was  no  mistaking  all  this.  We  were  seen  and 
chased;  everything  on  board  the  frigate  being  instantly 
and  accurately  trimmed,  "  full  and  by."  She  looked  up  into 
our  wake,  and  I  knew  must  soon  overtake  a  heavily-laden 
ship  like  the  Dawn,  in  the  style  in  which  she  was  worked 
and  handled.  Under  the  circumstances,  therefore,  I  mo- 
tioned Marble  to  follow  me  aft,  where  we  consulted  together 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  1 99 

touching  our  future  proceedings.  I  confess  I  was  disposed 
to  shorten  sail,  and  let  the  cruiser  come  alongside;  but 
Marble,  as  usual,  was  for  holding  on. 

"We  are  bound  to  Hamburg,'^  said  the  mate,  "  which  lies, 
hereaway,  on  our  lee-beam,  and  no  man  has  a  right  to  com- 
plain of  our  steering  our  course.  The  mist  has  shut  the 
frigate  in  again,  and,  it  being  very  certain  he  will  overhaul 
us  on  a  bowline,  I  advise  you.  Miles,  to  lay  the  yards  per- 
fectly square,  edge  away  two  points  more,  and  set  the 
weather  stun'-sails.  If  we  do  not  open  John  very  soon 
again,  we  may  be  off  three  or  four  miles  to  leeward  before 
he  learns  where  we  are,  and  then,  you  know,  a  *starn  chase' 
is  always  a  *long  chase.'  " 

This  was  good  advice,  and  I  determined  to  follow  it.  It 
blew  rather  fresh  at  the  instant,  and  the  Dawn  began  to 
plunge  through  the  seas  at  a  famous  rate  as  soon  as  she  felt 
the  drag  of  the  studding-sails.  We  were  now  running  on  a 
course  that  made  an  obtuse  angle  with  that  of  the  frigate, 
and  there  was  the  possibility  of  so  far  increasing  our  dis- 
tance as  to  get  beyond  the  range  of  the  openings  of  the  mist, 
ere  our  expedient  was  discovered.  So  long  did  the  density 
of  the  atmosphere  continue,  indeed,  that  my  hopes  were  be- 
ginning to  be  strong,  just  as  one  of  our  people  called  out 
"The  frigate!"  This  time  she  was  seen  directly  astern  of 
us,  and  nearly  two  miles  distant!  Such  had  been  our  gain 
that  ten  minutes  longer  would  have  carried  us  clear.  As  we 
now  saw  her,  I  felt  certain  she  would  soon  see  us,  eyes 
being  on  the  look-out  on  board  her,  beyond  a  question. 
Nevertheless,  the  cruiser  was  still  on  a  bowline,  standing 
on  the  course  on  which  we  had  been  last  seen. 

This  lasted  but  a  moment,  however.  Presently  the  Eng- 
lishman's bow  fell  off,  and  by  the  time  he  was  dead  before 
the  wind  we  could  see  his  studding-sails  flapping  in  the 
air,  as  they  were  in  the  act  of  being  distended,  by  means  of 
halyards,  tacks,  and  sheets  all  going  at  once.  The  mist  shut 
in  the  ship  again  before  all  this  could  be  executed.     What 


200  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

was  to  be  done  next?  Marble  said,  as  we  were  not  on  our 
precise  course,  it  might  serve  a  good  turn  to  bring  the  wind 
on  our  starboard  quarter,  set  all  the  studding-sails'we  could 
carry  on  the  same  side,  and  run  off  east-north-east:  I  in- 
clined to  this  opinion,  and  the  necessary  changes  were  made 
forthwith.  The  wind  and  mist  increased,  and  away  we  went, 
on  a  diverging  line  from  the  course  of  the  Englishman,  at 
the  rate  of  quite  ten  knots  in  the  hour.  This  lasted  fully 
forty  minutes,  and  all  hands  of  us  fancied  we  had  at  last 
given  the  cruiser  the  slip.  Jokes  and  chuckling  flew  about 
among  the  men,  as  usual,  and  everybody  began  to  feel  as 
happy  as  success  could  make  us,  when  the  dark  veil  lifted 
at  the  southwest;  the  sun  was  seen  struggling  through  the 
clouds,  the  vapor  dispersed,  and  gradually  the  whole  curtain 
which  had  concealed  the  ocean  throughout  that  morning 
arose,  extending  the  view  around  the  ship,  little  by  little, 
until  nothing  limited  it  but  the  natural  horizon. 

The  anxiety  with  which  we  watched  this  slow  rising  of 
the  curtain  need  scarcely  be  described.  Every  eye  was 
turned  eagerly  in  the  direction  in  which  its  owner  expected 
to  find  the  frigate,  and  great  was  our  satisfaction  as  mile 
after  mile  opened  in  the  circle  around  us  without  bringing 
her  beautiful  proportions  within  its  range.  But  this  could 
not  last  forever,  there  not  being  sufficient  time  to  carry  so 
large  a  vessel  over  the  curvature  of  the  ocean's  surface.  As 
usual.  Marble  saw  her  first.  She  had  fairly  passed  to  lee- 
ward of  us,  and  was  quite  two  leagues  distant,  driving  ahead 
with  the  speed  of  a  racehorse.  With  a  clear  horizon,  an 
open  ocean,  a  stiff  breeze,  and  hours  of  daylight,  it  was 
hopeless  to  attempt  escape  from  so  fast  a  vessel  as  the 
stranger,  and  I  now  determined  to  put  the  Dawn  on  her  true 
course,  and  trust  altogether  to  the  goodness  of  my  cause ; 
heels  being  out  of  the  question.  The  reader  who  will  do 
me  the  favor  to  peruse  the  succeeding  chapter  will  learn  the 
result  of  this  resolution. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  201 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

Whom  have  we  here?  Buckingham,  to  disturb  me? 
The  king  hath  sent  hira,  sure  :  I  must  dissemble. 

King  Henry  VI. 

At  first,  the  frigate  took  single  reefs  in  her  topsails,  top- 
gallant-sails over  them,  and  hauled  up  on  taut  bowlines. 
But  seeing  no  signs  of  our  studding-sails  coming  down,  she 
shook  out  her  reefs,  squared  her  yards,  set  topmast  studding- 
sails,  and  kept  off  to  a  course  that  would  be  certain  to  inter- 
cept us.  She  was  up  on  our  line  of  sailing  some  little  time 
before  we  got  down  to  her,  and  she  kept  standing  off  and 
on,  hauling  up  her  courses,  and  furling  her  topgallant-sails, 
and  hauling  down  all  of  her  light  sails,  the  jib  excepted. 
As  for  the  Dawn,  she  kept  steadily  on,  carrying  everything 
she  could  bear.  We  had  topmast  and  lower  studding-sails, 
and  not  a  tack  or  sheet  had  been  touched  when  we  got  within 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  frigate.  The  Englishman  now 
showed  his  colors,  when  we  let  him  see  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 
Still  no  sail  was  touched  on  board  us.  As  if  surprised  at 
our  obstinacy,  John  Bull  let  fly  a  chase-gun,  taking  good 
care  not  to  send  the  shot  very  near  us.  I  thought  it  time, 
now,  to  shorten  sail  and  to  pretend  to  see  him.  We  began 
to  haul  down  our  studding-sails  merchant-fashion,  and 
were  fairly  alongside  of  the  frigate  before  even  this  pre- 
liminary step  to  heaving-to  was  effected.  As  we  ap- 
proached, the  frigate  bore  up,  and  ran  off  in  company  with 
us,  keeping  a  hundred  fathoms  distance  from  us,  and  watch- 
ing us  closely.  At  this  instant,  I  ordered  the  topgallant- 
sails  settled  on  the  caps,  as  a  sign  we  intended  to  let  him 
board  us. 

At  length,  having  reduced  the  sail  to  the  three  topsails, 
reefed,  I  hove-to  the  Dawn,  and  waited  for  a  visit  from  the 
Englishman's  boat.  As*soon  as  the  frigate  saw  us  fairly 
motionless,  she   shot   up   on   our   weather-quarter,  half   a 


202  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

cable's  length  distant,  swung  her  long,  saucy-looking  yards, 
and  lay-to  herself.  At  the  same  instant  her  lee-quarter  boat 
dropped  into  the  water,  with  the  crew  in  it,  a  boy  of  a  mid- 
shipman scrambled  down  the  ship's  side  and  entered  it  also, 
a  lieutenant  followed,  when  away  the  cockle  of  a  thing 
swept  on  the  crest  of  a  sea,  and  was  soon  pulling  round 
under  our  stern.  I  stood  on  the  lee-quarter,  examining  my 
visitors,  as  they  struggled  against  the  swell,  in  order  to  get 
a  boat-hook  into  our  main-chains.  The  men  were  like  any 
other  man-of-war's-men,  neat,  sturdy,  and  submissive  in  air. 
The  reefer  was  a  well-dressed  boy,  evidently  a  gentleman's 
son;  but  the  lieutenant  was  one  of  those  old  weather-beaten 
sea-dogs  who  are  seldom  employed  in  boats  unless  something 
more  than  common  is  to  be  done.  He  was  a  man  of  forty, 
hard-featured,  pock-marked,  red-faced,  and  scowling.  I  after- 
ward ascertained  he  was  the  son  of  some  underling  about 
the  Portsmouth  dock-yard,  who  had  worked  his  way  up  to  a 
lieutenancy,  and  owed  his  advancement  principally  to  his 
readiness  in  impressing  seamen.     His  name  was  Sennit. 

We  threw  Mr.  Sennit  a  rope,  as  a  matter  of  course,  and 
Marble  met  him  at  the  gangway  with  the  usual  civilities. 
I  was  amused  with  the  meeting  between  these  men,  who  had 
strictly  that  analogy  to  each  other  which  is  well  described 
as  "  diamond  cut  diamond."  Each  was  dogmatical,  positive, 
and  full  of  nautical  conceit,  in  his  own  fashion ;  and  each 
hated  the  other's  country  as  heartily  as  man  could  hate, 
while  both  despised  Frenchmen.  But  Sennit  knew  a  mate 
from  a  master  at  a  glance ;  and,  without  noticing  Marble's 
sea -bow,  a  slight  for  which  Marble  did  not  soon  forgive 
him,  he  walked  directly  aft  to  me,  not  well  pleased,  as  I 
thought,  that  a  shipmaster  had  neglected  to  be  at  the  gang- 
way to  meet  a  sea  lieutenant. 

"Your  servant,  sir,"  commenced  Mr.  Sennit,  condescend- 
ing to  notice  my  bow;  "your  servant,  sir;  I  suppose  we  owe 
the  pleasure  of  your  company,  just  now,  to  the  circumstance 
of  the  weather's  clearing." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  203 

This  sounded  hostile  from  the  go-off;  and  I  was  deter- 
mined to  give  as  good  as  I  received. 

"  Quite  likely,  sir,"  was  my  answer,  uttered  as  coolly  as  I 
could  speak — "  I  do  not  think  you  got  much  the  advantage, 
as  long  as  there  was  thick  weather." 

"Ay,  you're  a  famous  fellow  at  hide  and  go  seek,  and  I 
do  not  doubt  would  make  a  long  chase  in  a  dark  night. 
But  his  Majesty's  ship  Speedy  is  not  to  be  dodged  by  a 
Yankee." 

"  So  it  would  seem,  sir,  by  your  present  success." 

"  Men  seldom  run  away  without  there  is  a  cause  for  it. 
It's  my  business  to  find  out  the  reason  why  you  have  at- 
tempted it ;  so,  sir,  I  will  thank  you  for  the  name  of  your 
ship,  to  begin  with." 

"The  Dawn,  of  New  York." 

"  Ay,  full-blooded  Yankee — I  knew  you  were  New  Eng- 
land, by  your  tricks." 

"New  York  is  not  in  New  England;  nor  do  we  call  a 
New  York  ship  a  Yankee,"  put  in  Marble. 

"Ay,  ay — if  one  were  to  believe  all  you  mates  from  the 
other  side,  say,  he  would  soon  fancy  that  King  George  held 
his  throne  by  virtue  of  a  commission  from  President  Wash- 
ington." 

"  President  Washington  is  dead.  Heaven  bless  him !"  re- 
torted Marble,  "  and  if  one  were  to  believe  half  of  what  you 
English  say,  he  would  soon  fancy  that  President  Jefferson 
held  his  office  as  one  of  King  George's  waiting-men." 

I  made  a  sign  for  Marble  to  be  silent,  and  intimated  to 
the  lieutenant  I  was  ready  to  answer  any  further  inquiries 
he  wished  to  make.  Sennit  did  not  proceed,  however,  with- 
out giving  a  significant  look  at  the  mate,  which,  to  me, 
seemed  to  say,  "  I  have  pressed  a  mate  in  my  time." 

"  Well,  sir,  the  Dawn,  of  New  York,"  he  continued,  noting 
the  name  in  his  pocket-book.  "  How  are  you  called  your- 
self?" 

"The  Dawn,  of  New  York,  Miles  Wallingford,  master." 


204  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

"  Miles  Wallingford,  master.  Where  from,  whither  bound, 
and  with  what  laden?" 

"From  New  York;  bound  to  Hamburg;  cargo  sugars, 
coffee,  and  cochineal." 

"  A  very  valuable  cargo,  sir,"  observed  Mr.  Sennit,  a  lit- 
tle dryly.  **'  I  wish  for  your  sake  it  had  been  going  to  any 
other  part  of  the  world,  as  this  last  war  has  sent  the  French 
into  that  part  of  Germany,  and  Hamburg  is  suspected  of 
being  rather  too  much  under  Boney's  influence." 

"  And  were  we  bound  to  Bordeaux,  sir,  what  power  have 
you  to  stop  a  neutral  at  this  distance  at  sea? " 

"  If  you  put  it  on  power,  Mr.  Wallingford,  you  depend  on 
a  crutch  that  will  betray  you.  We  have  power  enough  to  eat 
you,  should  that  be  necessary.     I  suppose  you  mean  right" 

"  I  shall  not  dispute  with  you,  sir,  about  words." 

"  Well,  to  prove  to  you  that  I  am  as  amicably  disposed  as 
yourself,  I  will  say  no  more  on  the  subject.  With  your  per- 
mission, I  will  now  examine  your  papers;  and  to  show  you 
that  I  feel  myself  among  friends,  I  will  first  send  my  own 
boat  back  to  the  Speedy." 

I  was  infinitely  disgusted  with  this  man's  manner.  It 
had  the  vulgar  sort  of  witticism  about  even  his  air,  that  he 
so  much  affected  in  his  speech — the  whole  being  deformed 
by  a  species  of  sly  malignancy,  that  rendered  him  as  offen- 
sive as  he  seemed  to  me  to  be  dangerous.  I  could  not  refuse 
to  let  a  belligerent  look  at  my  papers,  however,  and  went 
below  to  get  them,  while  Sennit  gave  some  private  orders  to 
his  reefer,  and  sent  him  away  to  his  frigate. 

While  on  this  subject,  the  reader  must  excuse  an  old 
man's  propensity  to  gossip,  if  I  say  a  word  on  the  general 
question  of  the  right  of  search.  As  for  the  pretence  that 
was  set  up  by  some  of  the  advocates  of  impressment  out  of 
neutral  ships,  which  laid  down  the  position  that  the  bellig- 
erent being  on  board  in  the  exercise  of  an  undoubted  right 
to  inquire  into  the  character  of  the  ship  and  cargo,  he  took 
with  him  the  right  to  lay  hands  on  all  the  subjects  of  his 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  205 

own  sovereign  he  might  happen  to  find  there,  it  is  not 
worthy  of  a  serious  reply.  Because  a  man  has  a  right  to 
take  the  step  preliminary  to  the  discharge  of  an  admitted 
power,  as  an  incident  of  that  power,  it  does  not  follow  that 
he  can  make  the  incident  a  principle,  and  convert  it  into  a 
justification  of  acts  unlawful  in  themselves.  On  this  head, 
therefore,  I  shall  say  nothing,  holding  it  to  be  beyond  dis- 
pute among  those  who  are  competent  to  speak  on  the  sub- 
ject at  all.  But  the  abuse  of  that  admitted  power  to  board 
and  ascertain  the  character  of  a  ship  has  created  so  lively 
a  feeling  in  us  Americans  as  to  induce  us  to  forego  some  of 
the  wholesome  principles  that  are  necessary  to  the  well-be- 
ing of  all  civilized  nations.  It  is  thus,  in  my  judgment, 
that  we  have  quite  recently  and  erroneously  laid  down  the 
doctrine  that  foreign  vessel s-of-war  shall  not  board  Ameri- 
can ships  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  a  time  of  peace,  in  order 
to  ascertain  their  character. 

On  this  subject  I  intend  to  speak  plainly.  In  the  first 
place,  I  lay  no  claim  to  that  spurious  patriotism  which  says, 
"Our  country,  right  or  wrong."  This  may  do  for  the  rabble, 
but  it  will  not  do  for  God,  to  whom  our  first  and  highest 
obligations  are  due.  Neither  country  nor  man  can  justify 
that  which  is  wrong,  and  I  conceive  it  to  be  wrong,  in  a 
political  if  not  in  a  moral  sense,  to  deny  a  vessel-of-war  the 
privilege  which  England  here  claims.  I  can  see  but  one 
plausible  argument  against  it,  and  that  is  founded  on  the 
abuses  which  may  arise  from  the  practice.  But  it  will  not 
do  to  anticipate  abuses  in  this  instance  more  than  in  any 
other.  Every  right,  whether  national  or  international,  may 
be  abused  in  its  exercise,  and  the  argument,  if  good  for  any 
thing,  is  as  good  against  every  other  right  of  international 
law  as  it  is  against  this.  Abuse,  after  it  has  occurred,  might 
be  a  justifiable  reason  for  suspending  the  exercise  of  an  ad- 
mitted right,  until  som^  remedies  were  applied  to  prevent 
their  recurrence,  but  it  can  never  be  urged  as  a  proper  argu- 
ment against  the  right  itself.     If  abuses  occur,  we  can  get 


206  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

them  remedied  by  proper  representations,  and  if  these  last 
fail,  we  have  the  usual  appeal  of  nations.  As  well  might  it 
be  said,  the  law  of  the  land  shall  not  be  administered,  be- 
cause the  sheriff's  officers  are  guilty  of  abuses,  as  to  say  the 
law  of  nations  shall  cease  because  we  apprehend  that  cer- 
tain commercial  rivalries  may  induce  others  to  transcend 
them.  When  the  wrong  is  done  it  will  be  time  enough  to 
seek  the  remedy. 

That  it  is  the  right  of  a  vessel-of-war  to  ascertain  the 
character  of  a  ship  at  sea  is  dependent  on  her  right  to  ar- 
rest a  pirate,  for  instance.  In  what  manner  can  this  be 
done,  if  a  pirate  can  obtain  impunity  by  simply  hoisting  the 
flag  of  some  other  country,  which  the  cruiser  is  obliged  to 
respect?  All  that  the  latter  asks  is  the  power  to  ascertain 
if  that  flag  is  not  an  imposition ;  and  this  much  every  regu- 
larly-commissioned public  ship  should  be  permitted  to  do, 
in  the  interests  of  civilization,  and  in  maintenance  of  the 
police  of  the  seas. 

The  argument  on  the  other  side  goes  the  length  of  saying 
that  a  public  cruiser  is  in  the  situation  of  a  sheriff's  officer 
on  shore,  who  is  compelled  to  arrest  his  prisoner  on  his  own 
responsibility.  In  the  first  place,  it  may  be  questioned  if 
the  dogma  of  the  common  law,  which  asserts  the  privilege 
of  the  citizen  to  conceal  his  name,  is  worthy  of  a  truly  en- 
lightened political  freedom.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
liberty  first  took  the  aspect  of  franchises,  in  which  men 
sought  protection  from  the  abuses  of  power  in  any  manner 
they  could,  and  often  without  regarding  the  justness  of  the 
general  principles  with  which  they  were  connected ;  confu- 
sion in  these  principles  arising  as  a  consequence.  But,  ad- 
mitting the  dogma  of  the  common  law  to  be  as  inherently 
wise  as  it  is  confessedly  a  practice,  there  is  no  parallel  in 
the  necessity  of  the  case  of  an  arrest  on  shore  and  of  an 
arrest  at  sea.  In  the  former  instance,  the  officer  may  apply 
to  witnesses;  he  has  the  man  before  him,  and  compares  him 
with  the  description  of  the  criminal;  and,  should  he  make 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  20/ 

an  erroneous  arrest,  under  misleading  circumstances,  his 
punishment  would  be  merely  nominal — in  many  cases,  noth- 
ing. But  the  common  law,  while  it  gives  the  subject  this 
protection,  does  not  deny  the  right  of  the  officer  to  arrest. 
It  only  punishes  the  abuse  of  this  power,  and  that  is  precisely 
what  nations  ought  to  do  in  a  case  of  the  abuse  of  the  right 
to  examine  a  merchantman. 

The  vessel -of -war  cannot  apply  to  witnesses,  and  cannot 
judge  of  national  character  by  mere  external  appearances, 
since  an  American-built  ship  can  be  sailed  by  Portuguese. 
The  actual  necessities  of  the  case  are  in  favor  of  the  present 
English  claim,  as  well  as  of  that  great  governing  princi- 
ple which  says  that  no  great  or  principal  right  can  exist, 
in  international  law,  without  carrying  with  it  all  the  sub- 
ordinate privileges  which  are  necessary  to  its  discreet  ex- 
ercise. 

Thus  much  I  could  not  refrain  from  saying,  not  that  I 
think  John  Bull  is  very  often  right  in  his  controversies  with 
ourselves,  but  because  I  think,  in  this  case,  he  is;  and  be- 
cause I  believe  it  far  safer,  in  the  long  run,  for  a  nation  or 
an  individual  to  have  justice  on  his  side  than  always  to 
carry  his  point. 

I  was  soon  on  deck,  carrying  my  writing-desk  under  my 
arm,  Mr.  Sennit  preferring  to  make  his  examination  in  the 
open  air  to  making  it  below.  He  read  the  clearance  and 
manifest  with  great  attention.  Afterward  he  asked  for  the 
shipping  articles.  I  could  see  that  he  examined  the  names 
of  the  crew  with  eagerness,  for  the  man  was  in  his  element 
when  adding  a  new  hand  to  his  frigate's  crew. 

"  Let  me  see  this  Nebuchadnezzar  Clawbonny,  Mr.  Wal- 
lingford,"  he  said,  chuckling.  "The  name  has  an  alias  in 
its  very  absurdity,  and  I  doubt  not  I  shall  see  a  countryman 
— perhaps  a  townsman." 

"  By  turning  your  head,  sir,  you  can  easily  see  the  man. 
He  is  at  the  wheel." 

"A  black! — umph — yes;  those  fellows  do  sometimes  sail 


208  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

under  droll  titles.  I  do  not  think  the  lad  was  born  at  Gos- 
port." 

"  He  was  born  in  my  father's  house,  sir,  and  is  my  slave." 

"Slave!  A  pretty  word  in  the  mouth  of  a  free  and  inde- 
pendent son  of  liberty,  Mr.  Wallingford.  It  is  lucky  you 
are  not  bound  to  that  land  of  despotism,  old  England,  or 
you  might  see  the  fetters  fall  from  about  the  chap's  limbs." 

I  was  nettled,  for  I  felt  there  was  some  justice  in  this 
sarcasm,  and  this,  too,  at  the  very  moment  I  felt  it  was  only 
half  merited;  and  not  at  all,  perhaps,  from  an  Englishman. 
But  Sennit  knew  as  much  of  the  history  of  my  country  as  he 
did  of  his  own,  having  obtained  all  he  had  learned  of  either 
out  of  newspapers.  Nevertheless,  I  succeeded  in  keeping 
silent. 

"Nathan  Hitchcock;  this  chap  has  a  suspiciously  Yan- 
kee name;  will  you  let  me  see  him^  sir,"  observed  the  lieu- 
tenant. 

"  The  chap's  name,  then,  does  him  no  more  than  justice, 
for  I  believe  he  is  strictly  what  we  call  a  Yankee." 

Nathan  came  aft  at  the  call  of  the  second  mate,  and  Sen- 
nit no  sooner  saw  him  than  he  told  him  to  go  forward  again. 
It  was  easy  to  see  that  the  man  was  perfectly  able  to  distin- 
guish, by  means  of  the  eye  alone,  between  the  people  of  the 
two  countries,  though  the  eye  would  sometimes  deceive  even 
the  most  practised  judges.  As  the  Speedy  was  not  much  in 
want  of  men,  he  was  disposed  not  to  lay  his  hands  on  any 
but  his  own  countrymen. 

"  I  shall  have  to  ask  you,  sir,  to  muster  all  your  people 
in  the  gangway,"  said  Sennit,  rising,  as  he  passed  me  the 
ship's  papers.  "  I  am  only  a  supernumerary  of  the  Speedy, 
and  I  expect  we  shall  soon  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  her 
first  on  board,  the  Honorable  Mr.  Powlett.  We  are  a  nob 
ship,  having  Lord  Harry  Dermond  for  our  captain,  and  lots 
of  younger  sons  in  the  cockpit." 

I  cared  little  who  commanded  or  officered  the  Speedy,  but 
I  felt  all  the  degradation  of  submitting  to  have  my  crew 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  209 

mustered  by  a  foreign  officer,  and  this,  too,  with  the  avowed 
object  of  carrying  away  such  portions  of  them  as  he  might 
see  fit  to  decide  were  British  subjects.  In  my  judgment  it 
would  have  been  much  more  creditable  and  much  wiser  for 
the  young  Hercules  to  have  made  an  effort  to  use  his  club, 
in  resisting  such  an  offensive  and  unjustifiable  assumption 
of  power,  than  to  be  setting  up  doubtful  claims  to  establish 
principles  of  public  law  that  will  render  the  exercise  of 
some  of  the  most  useful  of  all  international  rights  perfectly 
nugatory.  I  felt  a  disposition  to  refuse  compliance  with 
Sennit's  request,  and  did  the  result  only  affect  myself  I 
think  I  should  have  done  so;  but,  conscious  that  my  men 
would  be  the  sufferers,  I  thought  it  more  prudent  to  comply. 
Accordingly,  all  the  Dawn's  people  were  ordered  to  muster 
near  the  quarter-deck. 

While  I  endeavor  to  do  justice  to  principles,  I  wish  to  do 
no  injustice  to  Sennit.  To  own  the  truth,  this  man  picked 
out  the  Englishman  and  Irishman  as  soon  as  each  had  an- 
swered his  iirst  questions.  They  were  ordered  to  get  their 
things  ready  to  go  on  board  the  Speedy,  and  I  was  coolly 
directed  to  pay  them  any  wages  that  might  be  due.  Marble 
was  standing  near  when  this  command  was  given ;  and  see- 
ing disgust,  most  likely,  in  my  countenance,  he  took  on 
himself  the  office  of  replying. 

"You  think  accounts  should  be  balanced,  then,  before 
these  men  quit  the  ship?  "  he  asked,  significantly. 

"I  do,  sir;  and  it's  my  duty  to  see  it  done.  I  will  thank 
you  to  attend  to  it  at  once,"  returned  the  lieutenant. 

"Well,  sir,  that  being  the  case,  we  shall  be  receivers,  in- 
stead of  payers.  By  looking  at  the  shipping  articles,  you 
will  see  that  each  of  these  men  receive  fifty  dollars,  or  two 
months'  advance"  (seamen's  wages  were  as  high,  frequently, 
in  that  day,  as  twenty  or  thirty  dollars),  "and  quite  half  of 
the  *  dead-horse '  remains  to  be  worked  out.  We  will,  there- 
fore, thank  his  Majesty  to  pay  us  the  odd  twenty-five  dollars 
for  each  of  the  men." 
14 


2IO  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  What  countryman  are  you  1 "  demanded  the  lieutenant, 
with  a  menacing  look.  "Cornish,  by  your  impudence:  have 
a  care,  sir;  I  have  carried  off  mates,  before  now,  in  my  day." 

"  I  came  from  the  land  of  tombstones,  which  is  an  advan- 
tage ;  as  I  know  the  road  we  all  must  travel,  sooner  or  later. 
My  name  is  Marble,  at  your  service ;  and  there's  a  hard  na- 
tur'  under  it,  as  you'll  find  on  trial." 

Just  at  this  moment,  the  frigate's  boat  came  round  her 
stern,  carrying  the  Honorable  Mr.  Powlett,  or  the  gentleman 
whom  Sennit  had  announced  as  her  first  lieutenant.  I 
thought  the  rising  anger  of  the  last,  was  a  little  subdued  by 
the  appearance  of  his  senior  officer;  social  position  and 
private  rank  making  even  a  greater  difference  between  the 
two  than  mere  date  of  commission.  Sennit  suppressed  his 
wrath,  therefore ;  though  I  make  no  doubt  the  resentment  he 
felt  at  the  contumelious  manner  of  my  mate  had  no  little 
influence  on  what  subsequently  occurred.  As  things  were, 
he  waited,  before  he  proceeded  any  further,  for  the  Speedy's 
boat  to  come  alongside. 

Mr.  Powlett  turned  out  to  be  a  very  different  sort  of  per- 
son from  his  brother  lieutenant.  There  was  no  mistaking 
him  for  anything  but  a  gentleman,  or  for  a  sailor.  Beyond 
a  question,  he  owed  his  rank  in  his  ship  to  family  influence, 
and  he  was  one  of  those  scions  of  aristocracy  (by  no  means 
the  rule,  however,  among  the  high-born  of  England)  who 
never  were  fit  for  anything  but  carpet-knights,  though 
trained  to  the  seas.  As  I  afterward  learned,  his  father  held 
high  ministerial  rank;  a  circumstance  that  accounted  for 
his  being  the  first  lieutenant  of  a  six-and-thirty  at  twenty, 
with  a  supernumerary  lieutenant  under  him  who  had  been  a 
sailor  some  years  before  he  was  born.  But  the  captain  of 
the  Speedy,  himself.  Lord  Harry  Dermond,  was  only  four- 
and-twenty;  though  he  had  commanded  his  ship  two  years, 
and  fought  one  very  creditable  action  in  her. 

After  making  my  best  bow  to  Mr.  Powlett,  and  receiving 
a  very  gentleman -like  salutation  in  return,  Sennit  led  his 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  211 

brother  officer  aside,  and  they  had  a  private  conference  of 
some  little  length  together. 

"  I  shall  not  meddle  with  the  crew,  Sennit,"  I  overheard 
Powlett  say,  in  a  sort  of  complaining  tone,  as  he  walked 
away  from  his  companion.  "  Really,  I  cannot  become  the 
master  of  a  press-gang,  though  the  Speedy  had  to  be  worked 
by  her  officers.  You  are  used  to  this  business,  and  I  leave 
it  all  to  you." 

I  understood  this  to  be  a  carte  blanche  to  Sennit  to  carry 
off  as  many  of  my  people  as  he  saw  fit;  there  being  nothing 
novel  or  surprising  in  men's  tolerating  in  others  acts  they 
would  disdain  to  perform  in  person.  As  soon  as  he  left  his 
junior  in  rank,  the  youthful  first  lieutenant  approached  me. 
I  call  him  youthful,  for  he  appeared  even  younger  than  he 
was,  though  I  myself  had  commanded  a  ship  when  only  of 
his  own  age.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  this  young  man  felt  he 
was  employed  on  an  affair  of  some  importance. 

"  It  is  reported  to  us,  on  board  the  Speedy,  sir,"  the  Hon. 
Mr.  Powlett  commenced,  "  that  you  are  bound  to  Hamburg." 

"  To  Hamburg,  sir,  as  my  papers  will  show." 

"Our  government  regards  all  trade  with  that  part  of  the 
Continent  with  great  distrust,  particularly  since  the  late 
movements  of  the  French.  I  really  wish,  sir,  you  had  not 
been  bound  to  Hamburg." 

"I  believe  Hamburg  is  still  a  neutral  port,,  sir;  and,  if  it 
were  not,  I  do  not  see  why  an  American  should  not  enter  it, 
until  actually  blockaded." 

"Ah!  these  are  some  of  your  very  peculiar  American 
ideas  on  such  subjects!  I  cannot  agree  with  you,  however, 
it  being  my  duty  to  obey  my  orders.  Lord  Harry  has  de- 
sired us  to  be  very  rigorous  in  our  examination,  and  I  trust 
you  will  understand  we  must  comply,  however  unpleasant  it 
may  be,  sir.  I  understand,  now,  sugar  and  coffee  are  exceed- 
ingly suspicious!"      • 

"They  are  very  innocent  things  rightly  used,  as  I  hope 
mine  will  be." 


212  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  Have  you  any  particular  interest  in  the  cargo,  Captain 
Wallingford?" 

"  Only  that  of  owner,  sir.  Both  ship  and  cargo  are  my 
own  private  property." 

"  And  you  seem  to  be  English,  or  American — for,  I  con- 
fess myself  unable  to  tell  the  difference  between  the  people 
of  the  two  countries,  though  I  dare  say  there  is  a  very  great 
difference." 

"  I  am  an  American  by  birth,  as  have  been  my  ancestors 
for  generations." 

"  I  declare  that  is  remarkable!  Well,  I  can  see  no  differ- 
ence. But,  li  you  are  American,  I  do  not  see  why  the  sugar 
and  coffee  are  not  American,  too.  Lord  Harry,  however, 
desired  us  to  be  very  particular  about  these  things,  for  some 
reason. or  other.  Do  you  happen  to  know,  now,  where  this 
sugar  grew?" 

"  The  canes  of  which  it  was  made  grew,  I  believe,  in  St. 
Domingo." 

"St.  Domingo!     Is  not  that  a  French  island?" 

"Certainly,  in  part,  sir;  though  the  Spaniards  and  the 
negroes  dispute  the  possession  with  the  French." 

"I  declare  I  must  send  Lord  Harry  word  of  this!  I  am 
exceedingly  sorry.  Captain  Wallingford,  to  detain  your  ship, 
but  my  duty  requires  me  to  send  a  young  gentleman  on 
board  the  Speedy  for  orders." 

As  I  could  urge  no  plausible  objection,  the  young  gentle- 
man was  again  sent  back  to  the  frigate.  In  the  meantime. 
Sennit  had  not  been  idle.  Among  my  crew  were  a  Swede 
and  a  Prussian,  and  both  these  men  having  acquired  their 
English  in  London  or  Liverpool,  he  affected  to  believe  they 
were  natives  of  the  old  island,  ordering  them  to  get  their 
dunnage  ready  to  go  under  the  pennant.  Neither  of  the  men, 
however,  was  disposed  to  obey  him,  and  when  I  joined  the 
group,  leaving  the  Hon.  Mr.  Powlett  waiting  the  return  of 
his  boat,  on  the  quarter-deck,  I  found  the  three  in  a  warm 
discussion  on  the  subject. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  213 

"I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  Mr.  Wallingford,"  Sennit  cried, 
as  I  approached,  "we  will  compromise  matters.  Here  are 
two  fellows  who  are  Lancashire  men,  if  the  truth  were 
known,  that  pretend  to  be  Norwegians,  or  Fins,  or  to  come 
from  some  other  outlandish  country  or  other,  and  I  wish  to 
place  them  under  his  Majesty's  pennant,  where  they  properly 
belong;  as  they  are  so  reluctant  to  receive  this  honor,  I 
will  consent  to  take  that  fine-looking  Kentish  man,  who  is 
worth  them  both  put  together." 

As  this  was  said,  Sennit  pointed  to  Tom  Voorhees,  an 
athletic,  handsome  young  North  River  man,  of  Dutch  ex- 
traction, a  fellow  who  had  not  a  drop  of  English  blood  in 
his  veins,  and  the  ablest-bodied  and  the  best  seaman  in  the 
Dawn;  a  fact  that  the  lieutenant's  nautical  tact  had  not 
been  slow  to  detect. 

"  You  are  asking  me  to  let  you  have  a  man  who  was  born 
within  ten  miles  of  myself,"  I  answered,  "  and  whose  family 
I  know  to  be  American,  for  near  two  centuries." 

"Ay,  ay;  you're  all  of  ^/^ families  in  America,  as  every- 
body knows.  The  chap  is  English  born,  for  a  hundred 
guineas ;  and  I  could  name  a  spot  in  Kent  not  ten  miles 
distant  from  that  where  he  first  saw  the  light.  I  do  not  say, 
however,  you  were  not  his  neighbor — for  you  have  a  Dover 
look,  yourself." 

"  You  might  be  less  disposed  to  pleasantry,  sir,  were  this 
a  thirty-six,  or  were  you  and  I  on  shore." 

Sennit  gave  me  a  disdainful  look,  and  terminated  the 
affair  by  ordering  Voorhees  to  get  his  chest  ready,  and  to 
join  the  two  other  men  he  had  pressed.  Taking  example, 
however,  from  the  Swede  and  the  Prussian,  Voorhees  walked 
away,  using  no  measures  to  obey.  As  for  myself,  thor- 
oughly disgusted  with  this  man,  a  vulgar  rogue,  I  walked 
aft  to  the  other  lieutenant,  who  was  only  a  gentleman-like 
dunce. 

Mr.  Powlett  now  began  to  converse  of  London ;  and  he 
told  me  how  often  he  had  been  at  the  opera  when  last  in 


214  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

town — and  remarked  what  an  exceedingly  delightful  pte 
champetre  was  Lady  Somebody's  entertainment  of  that  sort. 
This  occupied  us  until  the  boat  returned,  with  a  very  civil 
request  from  the  captain  of  the  Speedy  that  I  would  do  him 
the  favor  to  pay  him  a  visit,  bringing  with  me  the  ship's 
papers.  As  this  was  what  no  belligerent  had  a  right  to  de- 
mand, though  privateersmen  constantly  did  it,  I  could  com- 
ply or  not.  Fancying  it  might  expedite  matters,  regarding 
the  civility  of  the  request  as  a  good  omen,  and  feeling  a 
desire  to  deal  with  principals  in  an  affair  that  was  very 
needlessly  getting  to  be  serious,  I  consented  to  go.  Marble 
was  called,  and  formally  told  to  take  charge  of  the  ship.  I 
could  see  a  smile  of  contempt  on  Sennit's  face,  at  this  little 
ceremony,  though  he  made  no  objection  in  terms.  I  had 
expected  that  the  first  lieutenant  would  go  to  the  frigate 
with  me,  but,  after  a  short  consultation  with  his  junior,  the 
last  was  deputed  to  do  me  this  honor. 

Sennit  now  appeared  disposed  to  show  me  every  slight 
and  indignity  it  was  in  his  power  to  manifest.  Like  all 
vulgar-minded  men,  he  could  not  refrain  from  maltreating 
those  whom  he  designed  to  injure.  He  made  me  precede 
him  into  the  boat,  and  went  up  the  Speedy's  side  first,  him- 
self, on  reaching  that  vessel.  His  captain's  conduct  was 
very  different.  Lord  Harry  was  not  a  very  noble  looking 
personage,  as  your  worshippers  of  rank  imagine  nobility 
to  appear,  but  he  was  decidedly  well-mannered;  and  it  was 
easy  enough  to  see  he  commanded  his  own  ship,  and  was 
admirably  fitted  so  to  do.  I  have  had  occasion  to  learn 
that  there  is  a  vast  deal  of  aristocratic  and  democratic  cant 
on  the  subject  of  the  appearance,  abilities,  qualities,  and 
conduct  of  Europeans  of  birth  and  station.  In  the  first 
place,  nature  has  made  them  very  much  as  she  makes  other 
people ;  and  the  only  physical  difference  there  is  proceeds 
from  habit  and  education.  Then,  as  to  the  enervating 
effects  of  aristocracy  and  noble  effeminacy,  I  have  seen  ten 
times  as  much  of  it  among  your  counter-jumpers  and  dealers 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  21$ 

in  bobinet  as  I  have  seen  in  the  sons  of  dukes  and  princes; 
and  in  my  latter  days  circumstances  have  brought  me  much 
in  contact  with  many  of  these  last.  Manliness  of  character 
is  far  more  likely  to  be  the  concomitant  of  aristocratic  birth, 
than  of  democratic,  I  am  afraid;  for,  while  those  who 
enjoy  the  first  feel  themselves  above  popular  opinion,  those 
who  possess  the  last  bow  to  it,  as  the  Asiatic  slave  bows  to 
his  master.  I  wish  I  could  think  otherwise;  but  experience 
has  convinced  me  of  these  facts,  and  I  have  learned  to  feel 
the  truth  of  an  axiom  that  is  getting  to  be  somewhat  familiar 
among  ourselves,  viz.,  "  that  it  takes  an  aristocrat  to  make 
a  true  democrat."  Certain  I  am  that  all  the  real  manly  in- 
dependent democrats  I  have  ever  known  in  America  have 
been  accused  of  aristocracy,  and  this  simply  because  they 
were  disposed  to  carry  out  their  principles,  and  not  to  let 
that  imperious  sovereign,  "the  neighborhood,"  play  the 
tyrant  over  them.  As  for  personal  merit,  quite  as  fair  a 
proportion  of  talent  is  found  among  the  well-born  as  among 
the  low ;  and  he  is  but  an  ad  captandum  vulgus  sort  of  a 
philosopher  who  holds  the  contrary  doctrine.  Talleyrand 
was  of  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  illustrious  houses  of 
Europe,  as  was  Turenne;  while  Mansfield,  Erskine,  Grey, 
Wellington,  and  a  host  of  Englishmen  of  mark  of  our  time, 
came  of  noble  blood.  No,  no,  the  cause  of  free  institutions 
has  much  higher  and  much  juster  distinctions  to  boast  of 
than  this  imaginary  superiority  of  the  humbly-born  over 
those  who  come  of  ancient  stock. 

Lord  Harry  Dermond  received  me  just  as  one  of  his  station 
ought  to  receive  one  of  mine,  politely,  without  in  the  least 
compromising  his  own  dignity.  There  was  a  good-natured 
smile  on  his  face,  of  which,  at  first,  I  did  not  know  what  to 
make.  He  had  a  private  conversation  with  Sennit,  too,  but 
the  smile  underwent  no  change.  In  the  end,  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  was  habitual  with  him,  and  meant 
nothing.  But,  thougli  so  much  disposed  to  smile,  Lord 
Harry  Dermond  was  equally  disposed  to  listen  to  every  sug- 


2l6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

gestion  of  Sennit  that  was  likely  to  favor  the  main  chance. 
Prize  money  is  certainly  a  great  stain  on  the  chivalry  of  all 
navies,  but  it  is  a  stain  with  which  the  noble  wishes  to  be 
as  deeply  dyed  as  the  plebeian.  Human  nature  is  singu- 
larly homogeneous  on  the  subject  of  money ;  and  younger- 
son  nature,  in  the  lands  of  majorats  and  entails,  enjoys  a 
liveliness  of  longing  on  the  subject  that  is  quite  as  con- 
spicuous as  the  rapacity  of  the  veriest  plebeian  who  ever 
picked  a  pocket. 

"I  am  very  sorry,  Captain  Wallingford,"  Captain  Lord 
Harry  Dermond  observed  to  me,  when  his  private  conference 
with  Sennit  was  ended,  and  altogether  superior  to  the  weak- 
ness of  Powlett,  who  would  have  discussed  the  point,  "  that 
it  is  my  duty  to  send  your  ship  into  Plymouth.  The  French 
have  got  such  an  ascendency  on  the  Continent  that  we  are 
obliged  to  use  every  act  of  vigilance  to  counteract  them. 
Then,  your  cargo  is  of  enemy's  growth." 

"As  for  the  ascendency,  my  lord,  you  will  see  we  Ameri- 
cans have  nothing  to  do  with  it;  and  my  cargo,  being  nec- 
essarily of  last  year's  crops,  must  have  been  grown  and 
manufactured  in  a  time  of  general  peace.  If  it  were  not,  I 
do  not  conceive  it  would  legalize  my  capture." 

"We  must  leave  Sir  William  Scott  to  decide  that,  my 
good  sir,"  answered  the  captain,  with  his  customary  smile; 
"  and  there  is  no  use  in  our  discussing  the  matter.  An  un- 
pleasant duty" — as  if  he  thought  the  chance  of  putting  two 
or  three  thousand  pounds  in  his  pocket  unpleasant! — "an 
unpleasant  duty,  however,  need  not  be  performed  in  a  dis- 
agreeable manner.  If  you  will  point  out  what  portion  of 
your  people  you  could  wish  to  keep  in  your  ship,  it  shall  be 
attended  to.  Of  course,  you  remain  by  your  property  your- 
self;  and  I  confess,  whatever  may  be  done  with  the  cargo,  I 
think  the  ship  will  be  liberated.  As  the  day  is  advancing, 
and  it  will  require  some  little  time  to  exchange  the  people, 
I  should  be  exceedingly  happy  if  you  would  do  me  the  favor 
to  lunch  in  my  cabin." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  21/ 

This  was  gentlemanly  conduct,  if  it  were  not  lawful.  I 
could  foresee  a  plenty  of  evil  consequences  to  myself  in  the 
delay,  though  I  own  I  had  no  great  apprehensions  of  a  con- 
demnation. There  was  my  note  to  John  Wallingford  to 
meet,  and  two  months'  detention  might  keep  me  so  long 
from  home  as  to  put  the  payment  at  maturity  quite  out  of 
the  question.  Then  came  the  mortgage  on  Clawbonny, 
with  its  disquieting  pictures;  and  I  was  in  anything  but  a 
good  humor  to  enjoy  Lord  Harry  Dermond's  hospitality. 
Still,  I  knew  the  uselessness  of  remonstrances,  and  the  want 
of  dignity  there  would  be  in  repining,  and  succeeded  in 
putting  a  good  face  on  the  matter. 

I  simply  requested  that  my  chief  mate,  the  cook,  and 
Neb  might  be  left  in  the  Dawn,  submitting  it  to  the  discre- 
tion of  my  captors  to  take  out  of  her  as  many  of  the  re- 
mainder of  her  people  as  they  saw  fit. 

Lord  Harry  remarked  it  was  not  usual  to  leave  a  mate, 
but  to  oblige  me,  he  would  comply.  The  frigate  would  go 
in  for  water  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight,  when  I  might  de- 
pend on  having  the  entire  crew,  his  Majesty's  subjects  ex- 
cepted, restored  to  my  command. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


ist  Gent.  What  is  my  ransom,  master  ?  Let  me  know. 
Mast.  A  thousand  crowns,  or  else  lay  down  your  head. 
Mate.  And  so  much  shall  you  give,  or  off  goes  yours. 

King  Henry  VI. 

I  NEVER  saw  a  man  more  astounded,  or  better  disposed  to 
fly  into  a  passion  than  was  the  case  with  Mr.  Moses  Oloff 
Van  Duzer  Marble,  when  he  was  told  that  the  Dawn  was  to 
be  sent  into  England,  for  adjudication.  Nothing  kept  his 
tongue  within  the  bounds  of  moderation,  and  I  am  far  from 
certain  I  might  not  add  his  fists,  but  my  assurances  he 
would  be  sent  on  board  the  Speedy,  unless  he  behaved  with 
prudence.     As   our   people  were   sent   out  of   the  ship,   I 


2l8  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

thought,  several  times,  he  would  break  out  in  open  hostili- 
ties; and  he  did  actually  propose  to  me  to  knock  Sennit 
down,  and  throw  him  overboard. 

With  a  significant  look,  I  told  him  it  was  not  time  for 
this.  The  mate  now  laid  a  finger  on  his  nose,  winked,  and 
from  that  moment  he  not  only  seemed  cheerful,  but  he  as- 
sisted in  hoisting  in  and  out  the  different  articles  that  were 
exchanged,  in  shifting'the  crews. 

When  all  was  ready,  it  appeared  that  Sennit  was  to  be  our 
prize  master.  Although  a  lieutenant  in  commission,  he  had 
only  been  lent  to  Lord  Harry  Dermond  by  the  admiral,  in 
order  to  fill  up  the  crew  of  that  favored  officer;  the  Speedy 
having  her  regular  complement  of  lieutenants  without  him. 
As  the  cruise  was  so  nearly  up,  and  the  ship  had  experi- 
enced great  success  in  impressing  since  she  sailed,  Sennit 
could  be  spared;  and,  if  the  truth  were  said,  I  make  no 
doubt  his  messmates  in  the  frigate  were  glad  to  be  rid  of 
him,  now  they  had  no  further  occasion  for  his  peculiar  skill 
and  services. 

Mr.  Sennitt  brought  on  board  with  him,  as  a  prize  crew, 
ten  foremast-men,  besides  a  master's  mate  of  the  name  of 
Diggins. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances,  this  last  dignitary  would 
have  been  of  sufficient  skill  to  take  the  ship  in;  but  this 
was  the  first  prize  Lord  Harry  had  taken;  she  promised  to 
be  valuable  if  condemned ;  and  I  suppose  he  and  his  young 
gentleman-like  luffs  were  desirous  of  getting  rid  of  their 
vulgar  associate.  At  any  rate,  Messrs.  Sennit  and  Diggins 
both  came  on  board  us,  bag  and  baggage. 

The  various  changes,  the  lunch,  and  the  chase  of  the 
morning  had  so  far  worn  away  the  day  that  the  two  vessels 
did  not  make  sail  until  four  o'clock,  p.m.,  when  both  ships 
filled  at  the  same  time;  the  Speedy  on  a  wind,  with  two 
reefs  in  her  topsails,  as  when  first  seen,  to  play  about  for 
more  prizes,  and  the  Dawn  under  studding-sails,  with  the 
wind  nearly  over  the  taffrail.     When   all  was  ready,  each 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  219 

ship  started  away  from  the  vacant  point  on  the  ocean,  where 
they  had  been  lying  for  hours,  moving  on  diverging  lines,  at 
a  rate  that  soon  put  a  wide  expanse  of  water  between  them. 

I  felt  the  circumstance  of  being  left  under  the  command 
of  such  a  man  as  Sennit  almost  as  sensibly  as  I  felt  the  loss 
of  my  ship.  He  and  the  mate  established  themselves  in  my 
cabin,  within  the  first  hour,  in  a  way  that  would  have 
brought  about  an  explosion,  had  not  policy  forbade  it,  on 
my  part.  Sennit  even  took  possession  of  my  stateroom,  in 
which  he  ordered  his  own  cot  to  be  swung,  and  from  which 
he  coolly  directed  my  mattress  to  be  removed. 

As  the  lockers  were  under  locks  and  keys,  I  permitted 
him  to  take  possession  without  a  remonstrance.  Diggins 
stowed  his  bedding  in  Marble's  berth,  leaving  my  mate  and 
myself  to  shift  for  ourselves.  At  a  suggestion  from  Marble, 
I  affected  great  indignation  at  this  treatment,  directing  Neb 
to  clear  away  a  place  in  the  steerage,  in  which  to  live,  and 
to  swing  hammocks  there  for  Marble  and  myself.  This 
movement  had  some  effect  on  Sennit,  who  was  anxious  to  get 
at  the  small  stores;  all  of  which  were  under  good  locks,  and 
locks  that  he  did  not  dare  violate,  under  an  order  from  the 
admiralty.  It  was,  therefore,  of  much  importance  to  him  to 
belong  to  my  mess;  and  the  necessity  of  doing  something 
to  appease  my  resentment  became  immediately  apparent  to 
him.  He  made  some  apologies  for  his  cavalier  conduct, 
justifying  what  he  had  done  on  the  score  of  his  rank  and 
the  usages  of  navies,  and  I  thought  it  prudent  to  receive  his 
excuses  in  a  way  to  avoid  an  open  rupture. 

Sennit  was  left  in  possession  of  the  stateroom,  but  I  re- 
mmined  in  the  steerage;  consenting,  however,  to  mess  in  the 
cabin.  This  arrangement,  which  was  altogether  premedi- 
tated on  my  part,  gave  me  many  opportunities  of  consulting 
privately  with  Marble ;  and  of  making  sundry  preparations 
for  profiting  by  the  fi^^t  occasion  that  should  offer  to  retake 
the  ship.  In  that  day,  recaptures  were  of  pretty  frequent 
occurrence;  and  I  no  sooner  understood  the  Dawn  was  to 


220  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

be  sent  in  than  I  began  to  reflect  on  the  means  of  effecting 
my  purpose.  Marble  had  been  kept  in  the  ship  by  me  ex- 
pressly with  this  object. 

I  suppose  the  reader  to  have  a  general  idea  of  the  posi- 
tion of  the  vessel,  as  well  as  of  the  circumstances  in  which 
she  was  placed.  We  were  just  three  hundred  and  fifty-two 
miles  to  the  southward  and  westward  of  Scilly,  when  I  ob- 
served at  meridian,  and  the  wind  blowing  fresh  from  the 
south-south-west,  there  was  no  time  to  lose,  did  I  meditate 
anything  serious  against  the  prize  crew.  The  first  occasion 
that  presented  to  speak  to  my  mate  offered  while  we  were 
busy  together  in  the  steerage  stowing  away  our  effects,  and 
making  such  dispositions  as  we  could  to  be  comfortable. 

"What  think  you,  Moses,  of  this  Mr.  Sennit  and  his 
people?"  I  asked,  in  a  low  voice,  leaning  forward  on  a 
water-cask,  in  order  to  get  my  head  nearer  to  that  of  the  mate. 
"They  do  not  look  like  first-rate  man-of-war's-men ;  by 
activity  and  surprise  could  we  not  handle  them?" 

Marble  laid  a  finger  on  his  nose,  winked,  looked  as  saga- 
cious as  he  knew  how,  and  then  went  to  the  steerage  door, 
which  communicated  with  the  companion-way,  to  listen  if 
all  were  safe  in  that  quarter.  Assured  that  there  was  no 
one  near,  he  communicated  his  thoughts  as  follows: 

"  The  same  idee  has  been  at  work  here,"  he  said,  tapping 
his  forehead  with  a  forefinger,  "  and  good  may  come  of  it. 
This  Mr.  Sennit  is  a  cunning  chap,  and  will  want  good 
looking  after,  but  his  mate  drinks  like  a  coal-heaver;  I  can 
see  that  in  his  whole  face ;  a  top-lantern  is  not  lighter.  He 
must  be  handled  by  brandy.  Then,  a  more  awkward  set  of 
long-shore  fellows  were  never  sent  to  manage  a  square-rigged 
craft  than  these  which  have  been  sent  from  the  Speedy. 
They  must  have  given  us  the  very  sweepings  of  the  hold. 

"You  know  how  it  is  with  these  dashing  young  man-of- 
war  captains;  they  keep  all  their  best  materials  for  a  fight. 
French  frigates  are  tolerably  plenty,  they  tell  me,  and  this 
Lord  Harry  Dermond,  much  as  he  loves  sugar  and  coffee. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  221 

would  like  to  fall  in  with  a  La  Vigilante,  or  a  La  Diane,  of 
equal  force,  far  better.  This  is  the  secret  of  his  giving 
Sennit  such  a  set  of  raw  ones.  Besides,  he  supposes  the 
Dawn  will  be  at  Plymouth  in  eight-and-forty  hours,  as  will 
certainly  be  the  case  should  this  wind  stand. 

"  The  fellows  are  just  so  many  London  loafers.  [I  have 
always  thought  Marble  had  the  merit  of  bringing  this  word 
into  fashion.]  There  are  but  three  seamen  among  them, 
and  they  are  more  fit  for  a  hospital  than  for  a  lower  yard  or 
a  jib-boom." 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  truth,  blended  with  some  exag- 
geration, mixed  up  with  this  statement  of  the  mate.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  the  captain  of  the  Speedy  had  not  sent 
away  his  best  men,  though  they  were  not  quite  as  bad  as 
Marble,  in  his  desire  to  overcome  them,  was  disposed  to 
fancy.  It  is  true  there  were  but  three  of  their  number  whom 
the  quick  nautical  instinct  of  the  mate  had  recognized  as 
real  seamen,  though  all  had  been  on  board  ship  long 
enough  to  render  them  more  or  less  useful. 

"Whatever  we  do  must  be  done  at  once,"  I  rejoined. 
"  We  are  four  athletic  men  to  act  against  twelve.  The  odds 
are  heavy,  but  we  shall  have  the  advantage  of  being  picked 
men,  and  of  attacking  by  surprise." 

"  I  wish  you  had  thought  of  asking  to  keep  Voorhees  in 
the  ship,  Miles;  that  fellow  would  be  worth  three  ordinary 
men  to  us." 

"I  did  think  of  it,  but  the  request  would  never  have  been 
granted.  One  could  ask  for  a  cook,  or  a  mate,  or  a  servant 
like  Neb,  but  to  ask  for  an  able  seaman  or  two  would  have 
been  to  declare  our  object." 

**  I  believe  you're  right,  and  we  must  be  thankful  for  the 
good  stuff  we  have,  as  it  is..  How  far  will  the  law  bear  us 
out  in  knocking  men  on  the  head  in  such  an  undertaking? 
It's  peace  for  Americ^  and  we  must  steer  clear  of  piracy!" 

"  I've  thought  of  all  that,  Moses,  and  see  no  great  cause 
of  apprehension.     A  man  has  certainly  a  right  to  recover 


222  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

that  by  the  strong  hand  which  he  lost  by  the  strong  hand. 
Should  blood  be  spilt,  which  I  hope  to  avert,  the  English 
courts  might  judge  us  harshly,  while  the  American  would 
acquit  us.  The  law  would  be  the  same  in  both  cases,  though 
its  administration  would  be  very  different.  I  am  ready  to 
cast  my  own  fortune  on  the  issue,  and  I  wish  no  man  to  join 
me  who  will  not  do  so,  heart  and  hand.  I  see  no  reason 
to  suppose  it  will  be  necessary  to  take  life,  to  which  I  have 
as  strong  a  reluctance  as  you  can  have  yourself." 

"There's  my  hand!"  exclaimed  Marble,  "and  as  for  its 
owner's  heart,  you  well  know  where  that  is  to  be  found, 
Miles.  Enough  has  been  said  for  a  beginning.  We  will 
look  about  us  this  afternoon,  and  talk  further  after  supper." 

"Good.  Do  you  say  a  word  to  Billings,  the  cook,  and  I 
will  open  the  matter  to  Neb.  Of  the  last  we  are  certain 
but  it  may  be  well  to  make  some  promises  to  your  man." 

"  Leave  that  to  me.  Miles.  I  know  my  chap,  and  will 
deal  with  him  as  I  would  with  an  owner." 

Marble  and  myself  now  separated,  and  I  went  on  deck  to 
observe  how  things  promised  in  that  quarter.  By  this  time, 
the  Speedy's  topsails  were  beginning  to  dip,  and  the  Dawn 
was  driving  forward  on  her  course,  with  everything  drawing 
that  she  could  carry.  All  the  English  were  on  deck,  Sennit 
included.  The  last  gave  me  a  sufficiently  civil  salute  as  I 
put  my  foot  on  the  quarter-deck,  but  I  avoided  falling  into 
any  discourse  with  him.  My  cue  was  to  note  the  men,  and 
to  ascertain  all  I  could  concerning  their  distribution  during 
the  approaching  night.  Diggins,  I  could  see,  was  a  red- 
faced  fellow,  who  probably  had  lost  his  promotion  through 
love  of  the  bottle,  though,  as  often  happens  with  such  per- 
sons, a  prime  seaman  and  a  thorough  man-of-war's-man.  Of 
him,  I  thought  I  could  make  sure  by  means  of  brandy. 
Sennit  struck  me  as  being  a  much  more  difficult  subject  to 
get  along  with.  There  were  signs  of  cognac  about  his  face, 
too,  but  he  had  more  rank,  more  at  stake,  and  brighter  hopes 
than  the  master's  mate.     Then  he  was  evidently  better  prac- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  223 

tised  in  the  ways  of  the  world  than  his  companion,  and  had 
constantly  a  sort  of  uneasy  vigilance  about  his  eye  and 
manner  that  gave  me  no  little  concern. 

It  was  my  wish  to  strike  a  blow,  if  possible,  that  very 
night,  every  minute  carrying  us  fast  toward  the  chops  of  the 
Channel,  where  the  English  had  so  many  cruisers  in  gen- 
eral as  to  render  ultimate  escape  next  to  impossible,  should 
we  even  be  so  lucky  as  to  regain  command  of  our  own  ship. 
I  was  afraid,  moreover,  Sennit  might  take  it  into  his  head 
to  have  all  hands  all  night,  under  the  pretext  of  drawing  in 
with  the  land.  Should  he  actually  adopt  this  course,  our 
case  was  nearly  hopeless. 

"Your  mate  seems  to  love  the  cupboard,  Mr.  Walling- 
ford,"  Sennit  remarked  to  me,  in  a  good-natured  manner, 
with  an  evident  wish  to  establish  still  more  amicable  rela- 
tions between  us  than  had  yet  existed ;  "  he  has  been  in  and 
about  that  alley  these  ten  minutes,  fidgeting  with  his  tin-pot, 
like  a  raw  hand  who  misses  his  mother's  tea!" 

Sennit  laughed  at  his  own  humor,  and  I  could  hardly 
answer  with  a  smile,  for  I  knew  my  mate  had  adopted  this 
experiment  to  open  communications  with  the  cook. 

"  Mr.  Marble  is  famous  for  his  love  of  slops,"  I  answered, 
evasively. 

"  Well,  he  does  not  look  it.  I  have  seldom  seen  a  more 
thorough-looking  sea-dog  than  your  mate.  Captain  Walling' 
ford" — this  was  the  first  time  Sennit  had  dignified  me  with 
this  title — "and  I  took  a  fancy  to  him  on  that  account,  as 
soon  as  I  saw  him.  You  will  do  me  the  favor  to  sup  with 
us  in  the  cabin,  I  hope,  for  I  see  signs  at  the  galley  that  it 
will  soon  be  ready?" 

"  I  shall  expect  to  join  your  mess,  sir,  now  explanations 
have  passed  between  us.  I  suppose  my  mate  is  to  be  one  of 
my  party,  as  well  as  yours?" 

"  Certainly.  I  shall  ask  the  favor  of  you  to  let  Mr.  Mar- 
ble relieve  Diggins,  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  while  the  poor 
fellow  gets  a  bite.     We'll  do  as  much  for  you  another  time." 


224  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

This  was  said  in  a  dry,  laughing  sort  of  a  way,  which 
showed  that  Mr.  Sennit  was  fully  aware  he  was  making  a 
request  a  little  out  of  rule,  to  ask  a  man  to  aid  in  carrying 
his  own  ship  into  port  as  a  prize;  but  I  took  it,  as  it  was 
meant,  for  a  rough  joke  that  had  convenience  at  the  bottom. 

It  was  not  long  ere  Neb  came  to  announce  that  supper 
was  ready.  Sennit  had  made  but  an  indifferent  dinner,  it 
would  seem,  and  he  appeared  every  way  disposed  to  take 
his  revenge  on  the  present  occasion.  Calling  out  to  me  to 
follow,  he  led  the  way  cheerfully  into  the  cabin,  professing 
great  satisfaction  at  finding  we  were  to  make  but  one  mess 
of  it.  Strictly  speaking,  a  prize  crew,  under  circumstances 
like  those  in  which  the  Dawn  was  now  placed  had  no  right 
to  consume  any  portion  of  the  vessel's  own  stores,  condem- 
nation being  indispensable  to  legalize  Lord  Harry  Der- 
mond's  course,  even  according  to  the  laws  of  his  own  coun- 
try. But  I  had  ordered  Neb  to  be  liberal  with  my  means, 
and  a  very  respectable  entertainment  was  spread  before  our 
eyes,  when  we  reached  the  cabin.  Sennit  was  soon  hard  at 
work;  but,  under  pretence  of  looking  for  some  better  sugar 
than  had  been  placed  on  the  table,  I  got  three  bottles  of 
brandy  privately  into  Neb's  hands,  whispering  him  to  give 
one  to  the  master's  mate  on  deck,  and  the  other  two  to  the 
crew.  I  knew  there  were  too  many  motives  for  such  a  bribe, 
connected  with  our  treatment,  the  care  of  our  private  prop- 
erty, and  other  things  of  that  nature,  to  feel  any  apprehen- 
sion that  the  true  object  of  this  liberality  would  be  sus- 
pected by  those  who  were  to  reap  its  advantages. 

Sennit,  Marble,  and  myself  sat  quite  an  hour  at  table. 
The  former  drank  freely  of  wine;  though  he  declined  hav- 
ing anything  to  do  with  the  brandy.  As  he  had  taken  two 
or  three  glasses  of  the  rejected  liquor  in  my  presence  before 
the  two  ships  parted,  I  was  convinced  his  present  forbear- 
ance proceeded  from  a  consciousness  of  the  delicate  circum- 
stances in  which  he  was  placed,  and  I  became  rather  more 
wary  in  my  own  movements.     At  length  the  lieutenant  said 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  22$ 

something  about  the  "  poor  devil  on  deck,"  and  Marble  was 
sent  up  to  look  out  for  the  ship,  while  Diggins  came  below 
to  eat.  The  instant  the  master's  mate  appeared,  I  could  see 
the  brandy  had  been  doing  its  work  on  him,  and  I  was  fear- 
ful his  superior  might  notice  it.  He  did  not,  however,  be- 
ing too  well  pleased  with  the  Madeira  I  had  set  before  him, 
to  trouble  himself  about  a  few  drams,  more  or  less,  that 
might  have  fallen  to  the  share  of  his  subordinate. 

At  length  this  memorable  supper,  like  everything  else  of 
earth,  came  to  an  end,  and  all  of  us  went  on  deck  in  a  body; 
leaving  Neb  and  the  cook  to  clear  away  the  fragments.  It 
was  now  night,  though  a  soft  starlight  was  diffused  over  the 
surface  of  the  rolling  water.  The  wind  had  moderated  a 
little,  and  the  darkness  promised  to  pass  without  any  extra 
labor  to  the  people,  several  of  the  studding-sails  having 
been  taken  in  by  Diggins's  orders,  when  he  first  went  below. 

When  seamen  first  come  on  deck  at  sea,  there  is  usually  a 
pause  in  the  discourse,  while  each  notes  the  weather,  the 
situation  of  the  ship,  and  the  signs  of  the  hour.  Sennit  and 
myself  did  this,  almost  as  a  matter  of  course,  separating, 
in  order  that  each  might  make  his  observation  at  leisure. 
As  for  Marble,  he  gave  up  the  command  of  the  deck  to  Dig- 
gins, walking  forward  by  himself.  Neb  and  the  cook  were 
keeping  up  the  customary  clattering  with  plates,  knives,  and 
forks. 

**Have  the  people  had  their  suppers  yet,  Mr.  Diggins?" 
demanded  the  lieutenant. 

"  Not  yet,  sir.  W  e  have  no  cook  of  our  own,  you  know, 
sir,  and  so  have  been  obliged  to  wait,  sir." 

"The  king's  men  wait  for  nobody.  Order  that  black 
fellow  to  let  them  have  their  suppers  at  once;  while  that  is 
doing,  we'll  tell  off  the  watches  for  the  night." 

Diggins  was  evidently  getting  more  and  more  under  the 

influence  of  brandy,  keeping  the  bottle  hid  somewhere  near 

him,  by  which  means  he  fbok  frequent  draughts  unperceived. 

He  gave  the  necessary  orders,  notwithstanding;  and  pre- 

»5 


226  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

sently  the  men  were  mustered  aft,  to  be  told  off  into  the 
two  watches  that  were  required  for  the  service  of  the  ship. 
This  was  soon  done,  Sennit  choosing  five,  and  Diggins  his 
five. 

"  It's  past  eight  o'clock,"  said  Sennit,  when  the  selections 
were  made.  "  Go  below  the  watch,  and  all  but  the  man  at 
the  wheel  of  the  watch  on  deck  can  go  below  to  the  lights 
to  eat.  Bear  a  hand  with  your  suppers,  my  lads;  this  is 
too  big  a  craft  to  be  left  without  lookouts  forward,  though  I 
dare  say  the  Yankees  will  lend  us  a  hand  while  you  are 
swallowing  a  mouthful  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  we  will,  sir,"  cried  Marble,  who  had  come 
to  the  gangway  to  witness  the  proceedings.  "  Here,  you 
Neb,  come  out  of  that  galley  and  play  forecastle-man,  while 
John  Bull  gets  his  supper.  He's  always  cross  when  he's 
hungry,  and  we'll  feed  him  well  to  make  a  good  neighbor- 
hood." 

This  caused  some  who  heard  it  to  laugh,  and  others  to 
swear  and  mutter.  Every  one,  nevertheless,  appeared  will- 
ing to  profit  by  the  arrangement,  the  Englishmen  being  soon 
below,  hard  at  work  around  the  kids.  It  now  struck  me  that 
Marble  intended  to  clap  the  forecastle-hatch  down  suddenly, 
and  make  a  rush  upon  the  prize  officers  and  the  man  at  the 
wheel.  Leaving  one  hand  to  secure  the  scuttle,  we  should 
have  been  just  a  man  apiece  for  those  on  deck;  and  I  make 
no  doubt  the  project  would  have  succeeded  had  it  been  at- 
tempted in  that  mode.  I  was,  by  nature,  a  stronger  man 
than  Sennit,  besides  being  younger  and  in  my  prime,  while 
Diggins  would  not  have  been  more  than  a  child  in  Marble's 
hands.  As  for  the  man  at  the  wheel,  Neb  could  have  thrown 
him  half  way  up  to  the  mizzentop  on  an  emergency.  But  it 
seemed  that  my  mate  had  a  deeper  project  in  view;  nor  was 
the  other  absolutely  certain,  as  I  afterward  learned,  one  of 
the  Englishmen  soon  coming  out  of  the  forecastle  to  eat  on 
deck,  quite  likely  aware  that  there  might  be  some  risk  in 
letting  all  hands  remain  below. 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  22/ 

It  was  now  sufficiently  dark  for  our  purposes,  and  I  be- 
gan to  reflect  seriously  on  the  best  mode  of  proceeding, 
when,  all  at  once,  a  heavy  splash  in  the  water  was  heard, 
and  Marble  was  heard  shouting,  "Man  overboard!" 

Sennit  and  I  ran  to  the  lee  main-rigging,  where  we  just 
got  a  glimpse  of  the  hat  of  the  poor  fellow,  who  seemed  to 
be  swimming  manfully,  as  the  ship  foamed  past  him. 

"  Starboard  your  helm !  "  shouted  Marble.  "  Starboard 
your  helm !  Come  to  these  fore-braces,  Neb ;  bear  a  hand 
this  a-way,  you  cook.  Captain  Wallingford,  please  lend  us 
a  pull.  Look  out  for  the  boat,  Mr.  Sennit;  we'll  take  care 
of  the  head-yards." 

Now  all  this  had  been  regularly  concocted  in  the  mate's 
mind  in  advance.  By  these  means  he  not  only  managed  to 
get  all  our  people  together,  but  he  got  them  away  from  the 
boat.  The  whole  was  done  so  naturally  as  to  prevent  the 
smallest  suspicion  of  any  design.  To  do  Sennit  justice,  I 
must  acknowledge  that  he  behaved  himself  particularly 
well  on  this  sudden  appeal  to  his  activity  and  decision. 
The  loss  of  a  man  was  to  him  a  matter  of  deep  moment ;  all 
his  habits  and  propensities  inclining  him  to  be  solicitous 
about  the  manning  of  ships.  A  man  saved  was  as  good  as 
a  man  impressed;  and  he  was  the  first  person  in  the  boat. 
By  the  time  the  ship  had  lost  her  way  the  boat  was  ready, 
and  I  heard  Sennit  call  out  the  order  to  lower.  As  for  us 
Americans,  we  had  our  hands  full  to  get  the  head-yards 
braced  up  in  time,  and  to  settle  away  the  topgallant 
halyards,  aft,  in  order  to  save  the  spars.  In  two  minutes, 
however,  the  Dawn  resembled  a  steed  that  had  suddenly 
thrown  his  rider,  diverging  from  his  course,  and  shooting 
athwart  the  field  at  right  angles  to  his  former  track,  scenting 
and  snuffing  the  air.  Forward  all  was  full,  but  the  after- 
yards  having  been  square  from  the  first,  their  sails  lay 
aback,  and  the  ship  was  slawly  forging  ahead,  with  the  seas 
slapping  against  her  bows,  as  if  the  last  were  admonishing 
her  to  stop. 


228  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

I  now  walked  aft  to  the  taflfrail,  in  order  to  make  certain 
of  the  state  of  things.  Just  as  I  reached  the  stern,  Sennit 
was  encouraging  the  men  to  "  give  way"  with  the  oar.  I 
saw  that  he  had  six  of  his  people  with  him,  and  no  doubt 
six  of  his  best  men — the  boldest  and  most  active  being 
always  the  most  forward  on  such  occasions.  There  was  no 
time  to  be  lost,  and  I  turned  to  look  for  Marble.  He  was 
at  my  elbow,  having  sought  me  with  the  same  object.  We 
walked  away  from  the  man  at  the  wheel  together,  to  get  out 
of  earshot. 

*'Now's  your  time,  Miles,"  the  mate  muttered,  slipping 
one  of  my  own  pistols  into  my  hands  as  he  spoke.  "  That 
master's  mate  isasmuzzy  as  a  tapster  at  midnight,  and  I  can 
make  him  do  what  I  please.  Neb  has  his  orders,  and  the 
cook  is  ready  and  willing.  You  have  only  to  say  the  word 
to  begin." 

"There  seems  little  necessity  for  bloodshed,"  I  answered. 
"If  you  have  the  other  pistol,  do  not  use  it  unnecessarily; 
we  may  want  it  for  the  boat." 

"  Boat !  "  interrupted  Marble.  "  What  more  have  we  to 
do  with  the  boat?  No — no — Miles;  let  this  Mr.  Sennit  go 
to  England  where  he  belongs.  Now,  see  how  I'll  manage 
Diggins,"  he  added.  "  I  want  to  get  a  luff  purchase  up  out 
of  the  forecastle ;  will  you  just  order  two  or  three  of  your 
fellows  forward,  to  go  down  and  pass  it  up  for  me?  " 

"  D'ye  hear  there,  forward,"  called  out  Diggins,  with  a 
very  thick  tongue.  "Tumble  down  into  that  forecastle, 
three  or  four  of  you,  and  pass  up  the  tackle  for  Mr.  Marble." 

Now,  there  were  but  three  of  the  Englishmen  left  in  the 
ship,  exclusively  of  the  master's  mate  himself,  and  the  man 
at  the  wheel.  This  order,  consequently,  sent  all  three  im- 
mediately into  the  forecastle.  Marble  coolly  drew  over  the 
hatch,  secured  it,  ordered  the  cook  to  keep  a  general  lookout 
forward,  and  walking  aft,  as  if  nothing  occurred,  said  in 
his  quiet  way: 

"The  ship's  yours,  again,  Captain  Wallingford." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  229 

"Mr.  Diggins,"  I  said,  approaching  the  master's  mate, 
"  as  I  have  a  necessity  for  this  vessel,  which  is  my  property, 
if  you  please,  sir,  I'll  now  take  charge  of  her  in  person. 
You  had  better  go  below,  and  make  yourself  comfortable; 
there  is  good  brandy  to  be  had  for  the  asking,  and  you  may 
pass  an  agreeable  evening,  and  turn  in  whenever  it  suits  you." 

Diggins  was  a  sot  and  a  fool,  but  he  did  not  want  for 
pluck.  His  first  disposition  was  to  give  battle,  beginning 
to  call  out  for  his  men  to  come  to  his  assistance,  but  I  put 
an  end  to  this,  by  seizing  him  by  the  collar,  and  dropping 
him,  a  little  unceremoniously,  down  the  companion-way. 
Half  an  hour  later,  he  was  dead  drunk,  and  snoring  on  the 
cabin  floor. 

There  remained  only  the  man  at  the  wheel  to  overcome. 
He  was  a  seaman,  of  course,  and  one  of  those  quiet,  orderly 
men,  who  usually  submit  to  the  powers  that  be.  Approach- 
ing him,  I  said: 

"You  see  how  it  is,  my  lad;  the  ship  has  again  changed 
owners.  As  for  you,  you  shall  be  treated  as  you  behave. 
Stand  to  the  wheel,  and  you'll  get  good  treatment  and  plenty 
of  grog,  but,  by  becoming  fractious,  you'll  find  yourself  in 
irons  before  you  know  where  you  are." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  man,  touching  his  hat,  and 
contenting  himself  with  this  brief  and  customary  reply. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Marble,"  I  continued,  "  it  is  time  to  have  an 
eye  on  the  boat,  which  will  soon  find  the  man,  or  give  him 
up.  I  own  that  I  wish  we  had  recovered  the  ship  without 
tossing  the  poor  fellow  overboard." 

" Fellow  overboard ! "  cried  Marble,  laughing;  "I'd  ha' 
thrown  all  England  into  the  sea  had  it  been  necessary  and 
in  my  power,  but  it  wasn't  necessary  to  throw  overboard  so 
much  as  a  child.  The  chap  they're  arter  is  nothing  but  one 
of  the  fenders,  with  the  deep-sea  lashed  to  its  smaller  end, 
and  a  tarpaulin  stopped  on  the  larger!  Mr.  Sennit  need  be 
in  no  great  hurry,  for  I'll  engage  his  *  roan  overboard '  will 
float  as  long  as  his  yawl !  " 


230  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

The  whole  of  Marble's  expedient  was  thus  explained,  and 
I  confess  I  was  much  relieved  by  a  knowledge  of  the  truth. 
Apart  from  the  general  relief  that  accompanied  the  con- 
sciousness of  not  having  taken  human  life,  should  we  again 
fall  into  English  hands,  a  thing  by  no  means  improbable  in 
the  situation  in  which  we  were  placed,  this  circumstance 
might  be  of  the  last  importance  to  us.  In  the  meantime, 
however,  I  had  to  look  to  the  boat  and  to  the  ship. 

The  first  thing  we  did  was  to  clew  up  the  three  topgallant 
sails.  This  gave  us  a  much  easier  command  of  the  vessel, 
short-handed  as  we  were,  and  it  rendered  it  less  hazardous 
to  the  spars  to  keep  the  Dawn  on  a  wind.  When  this  was 
done,  I  ordered  the  after-braces  manned,  and  the  leaches 
brought  as  near  as  possible  to  touching.  It  was  time ;  for 
the  oars  were  heard,  and  then  I  got  a  view  of  the  boat  as  it 
came  glancing  down  on  our  weather-quarter.  I  instantly 
gave  the  order  to  fill  the  after  sails,  and  to  keep  the  ship 
full  and  by.  The  braces  were  manned  as  well  as  they  could 
be  by  Marble,  Neb,  and  the  cook,  while  I  kept  an  eye 
on  the  boat,  with  an  occasional  glance  at  the  man  at  the 
wheel. 

"  Boat  ahoy!  "  I  hailed,  as  soon  as  the  lieutenant  got  near 
enough  for  conversation. 

"Ay,  boat  ahoy!  sure  enough,"  growled  Sennit;  "some 
gentleman's  back  will  pay  for  this  trick.  The  *man  over- 
board '  is  nothing  but  a  d — d  paddy  made  out  of  a  fender 
with  a  tarpaulin  truck!  I  suspect  your  mate  of  this,  Mr. 
Wallingford." 

"My  mate  owns  the  offence,  sir;  it  was  committed  to  get 
you  out  of  the  ship,  while  we  took  charge  of  her  again. 
The  Dawn  is  under  my  orders  once  more,  Mr.  Sennit,  and 
before  I  permit  you  to  come  on  board  her  again  we  must 
have  an  understanding  on  the  subject." 

A  long,  meaning  whistle,  with  a  muttered  oath  or  two, 
satisfied  me  that  the  lieutenant  had  not  the  slightest  sus- 
picion of  the  truth,  until  it  was  thus  abruptly  announced  to 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  2$  I 

him.  By  this  time  the  boat  was  under  our  stern,  where  she 
was  brought  in  order  to  be  hooked  on,  the  men  intending  to 
come  up  by  the  tackles. 

For  this  I  cared  not,  however,  it  being  an  easy  matter  for 
me,  standing  on  the  taffrail,  to  knock  any  one  on  the  head 
who  should  attempt  to  board  us  in  that  fashion.  By  way  of 
additional  security,  however,  Neb  was  called  to  the  wheel. 
Marble  taking  the  English  sailor  forward  to  help  haul  the 
bowlines  and  trim  the  yards.  The  ship  beginning  to  gather 
way,  too,  I  threw  Sennit  the  end  of  a  lower  studding-sail 
halyards  that  was  brought  aft  for  the  purpose,  ordered  his 
bowman  to  let  go  his  hold  of  the  tackle,  and  dropped  the 
boat  a  safe  towing-distance  astern.  Neb  being  ordered  to 
keep  the  weather  leaches  touching,  just  way  enough  was  got 
on  the  ship  to  carry  out  the  whole  of  this  plan  without  risk 
to  anybody. 

"  You'll  not  think  of  leaving  us  out  here  on  the  Atlantic, 
Mr.  Wallingford,  five  hundred  miles  from  Land's  End," 
Sennit  at  length  called  out,  time  having  been  taken  to  chew 
the  cud  of  reflection. 

"That's  as  you  behave,  sir.  I  wish  you  no  harm  person- 
ally, Mr.  Sennit,  though  I  much  wish  my  own  ship.  The 
night  promises  to  be  good  and  the  wind  is  moderating,  so 
that  the  boat  will  be  perfectly  safe.  I  will  have  you  hauled 
up,  and  we  will  throw  you  a  spare  sail  for  a  covering,  and 
you  will  have  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  we  shall  have 
to  keep  watch  while  you  are  sleeping." 

"  Ay,  sir,  I  understand  it  all ;  Job's  comfort  that  will  be. 
As  I  do  not  suppose  you  are  to  be  coaxed  out  of  the  advan- 
tage you  have  obtained,  we  have  no  choice  but  compliance. 
Give  us  some  food  and  water  in  addition,  and  for  God's 
sake!  don't  cast  us  adrift  in  this  boat,  so  far  from  land." 

I  gave  Sennit  an  assurance  that  we  would  take  care  of 
him,  and  orders  were  issued  to  comply  with  his  wishes. 
We  passed  the  sail  into  the  boat,  and  lowered  a  bread-bag, 
a  kid  full  of  beef  and  pork,  and  a  breaker  of  fresh  water.     I 


232  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

took  all  these  precautions  the  more  readily,  as  I  did  not 
know  but  we  might  be  compelled  to  cast  the  boat  adrift, 
and  one  would  not  wish  to  resort  to  such  a  step,  without 
desiring  to  leave  its  crew  the  best  possible  chance  for  their 
lives.  I  will  do  Marble  the  justice  to  say  he  was  active  in 
making  these  arrangements,  though  had  the  question  of  de- 
stroying the  entire  prize  crew  presented  itself  on  one  side, 
and  that  of  losing  the  ship  on  the  other,  he  would  not  have 
hesitated  about  sinking  Great  Britain  itself,  were  it  pos- 
sible to  achieve  the  last.  I  was  more  human,  and  felt  ex- 
ceedingly relieved  when  I  again  found  myself  in  command 
of  the  Dawn,  after  an  interregnum  of  less  than  ten  hours, 
without  a  drop  of  blood  having  been  spilled. 

As  soon  as  everything  required  was  passed  into  the  boat, 
she  was  dropped  astern,  nearly  to  the  whole  length  of  the 
studding-sail  halyards.  This  would  make  her  tow  more 
safely  to  both  parties :  to  those  in  her,  because  there  was 
less  risk  of  the  ship's  dragging  her  under,  and  to  ourselves, 
because  it  removed  all  danger  of  the  Englishmen's  return- 
ing our  favor,  by  effecting  a  surprise  in  their  turn.  At 
such  a  distance  from  the  ship,  there  would  always  be  time 
for  us  to  rally  and  defeat  any  attempt  to  get  alongside. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


Capt.  And  as  for  these  whose  ransom  we  have  set. 
It  is  our  pleasure,  one  of  them  depart : — 
Therefore  come  you  with  us,  and  let  him  go. 

King  Henry  VI. 

By  such  simple  means,  and  without  resistance,  as  it  might 
be,  did  I  recover  the  possession  of  my  ship,  the  Dawn. 
But  now  that  the  good  vessel  was  in  my  power,  it  was  by 
no  means  an  easy  thing  to  say  what  was  to  be  done  with 
her.     We  were  just  on  the  verge  of  the  ground  occupied  by 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  233 

the  Channel  cruisers,  and  it  was  preposterous  to  think  of 
running  the  gauntlet  among  so  many  craft  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  escaping.  It  is  true,  we  might  fall  in  with  twenty 
English  man-of-war  vessels  before  we  met  with  another 
Speedy  to  seize  and  order  us  into  Plymouth,  had  everything 
been  in  order  and  in  the  usual  state,  but  no  cruiser  would 
or  could  board  us,  and  not  demand  the  reasons  why  so  large 
a  ship  should  be  navigated  by  so  small  a  crew.  It  was  over 
matters  like  these  that  Marble  and  I  now  consulted,  no  one 
being  on  the  quarter-deck  but  the  mate,  who  stood  at  the 
wheel,  and  myself.  The  cook  was  keeping  a  look-out  on 
the  forecastle.  The  Englishman  had  lain  down,  in  full 
view,  by  my  orders,  at  the  foot  of  the  mainmast;  while  Neb, 
ever  ready  to  sleep  when  not  on  duty,  was  catching  a  nap 
on  the  booms. 

"  We  have  got  the  ship,  Moses,"  I  commenced,  *'  and  the 
question  next  arises,  what  we  are  to  do  with  her." 

"Carry  her  to  her  port  of  destination.  Captain  Walling- 
ford,  to  be  sure.     What  else  can  we  do  with  her,  sir?  " 

"Ay,  that  is  well  enough,  if  it  can  be  done.  But,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  difficulty  of  four  men's  taking  care  of  a  craft 
of  five  hundred  tons,  we  have  a  sea  before  us  that  is  cov- 
ered with  English  cruisers." 

"  As  for  the  four  men,  you  may  safely  set  us  down  as 
eight.  I'll  engage  we  do  as  much  in  a  blow  as  eight  such 
fellows  as  are  picked  up  now-a-days  'long  shore.  The  men 
of  the  present  time  are  mere  children  to  those  one  met  with 
in  my  youth.  Miles." 

"  Neither  Neb,  nor  the  cook,  nor  I,  am  a  man  of  other 
times,  but  we  are  all  men  of  to-day;  so  you  must  call  us  but 
three,  after  all.  I  know  we  can  do  much ;  but  a  gale  may 
come  that  would  teach  us  our  insignificance.  As  it  is,  we 
are  barely  able  to  furl  the  main-topgallant  sail  in  a  squall, 
leaving  one  hand  at  the  wheel,  and  another  to  let  go  rigging. 
No,  no,  Moses;  we  must  admit  we  are  rather  short-handed, 
putting  the  best  face  on  the  matter." 


234  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

"  If  you  generalize  in  that  mode,  Miles,  my  dear  boy,  I 
must  allow  that  we  are.  We  can  go  up  Channel,  and  ten 
chances  to  one  but  we  fall  in  with  some  Yankee  who  will 
lend  us  a  hand  or  two." 

"  We  shall  be  twice  as  likely  to  meet  with  King  George's 
ships,  who  will  overhaul  our  articles,  and  want  to  know 
what  has  become  of  the  rest  of  our  people." 

"  Then  we'll  tell  'em  that  the  rest  of  the  crew  has  been 
pressed ;  they  know  their  own  tricks  too  well  not  to  see  the 
reasonableness  of  such  an  idee." 

"  No  officer  would  leave  a  vessel  of  this  size  with  only 
her  master,  mate,  cook,  and  one  man  to  take  care  of  her, 
even  had  he  found  a  crew  of  deserters  from  his  own  ship  in 
her.  In  such  a  case,  and  admitting  a  right  to  impress  from 
a  foreigner  at  all,  it  would  be  his  duty  to  send  a  party  to 
carry  the  craft  into  port.  No,  no,  Moses;  we  must  give  all 
the  English  a  wide  berth,  now,  or  they  will  walk  us  into 
Plymouth,  yet." 

"  Blast  the  hole !  I  was  in  it  a  prisoner,  during  the  revvy- 
lution,  and  never  want  to  see  its  face  ag'in.  They've  got 
what  they  call  the  Mill  Prison  there,  and  it's  a  mill  that 
does  grinding  less  to  my  taste  than  the  thing  of  yourn  at 
Clawbonny.  Why  not  go  north-about,  Miles?  There  must 
be  few  cruisers  up  that-a-way." 

"  The  road  is  too  long,  the  weather  is  apt  to  be  too  thick, 
and  the  coast  is  too  dangerous  for  us,  Moses.  We  have  but 
two  expedients  to  choose  between — to  turn  our  heads  to  the 
westward,  and  try  to  get  home,  trusting  to  luck  to  bring  us 
up  with  some  American  who  will  help  us,  or  steer  due  east 
and  run  for  a  French  port — Bordeaux  for  instance — where 
we  might  either  dispose  of  our  cargo,  or  ship  a  new  crew, 
and  sail  for  our  port  of  destination." 

"  Then  try  the  last,  by  all  means.  With  this  wind,  we 
might  shove  the  ship  in  with  the  land  in  the  course  of  two 
or  three  days,  and  go  clear  of  everything!  I  like  the  idee, 
and  think  it  can  be  carried  out.     Burdux  is  always  full  of 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  235 

Americans,  and  there  must  be  men  enough  to  be  had  for  the 
asking  knocking  about  the  quays." 

After  a  little  further  conversation,  we  determined  on  this 
plan,  and  set  about  carrying  it  into  execution  on  the  spot. 
In  rounding-to,  the  ship  had  been  brought  by  the  wind  on 
the  larboard  tack,  and  was  standing  to  the  northward  and 
westward,  instead  of  to  the  eastward,  the  course  we  now 
wished  to  steer.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  wear  round 
and  get  the  ship's  head  in  the  right  direction.  This  was 
not  a  difficult  manoeuvre  at  all,  and  the  Englishman  helping 
us  with  seeming  good-will,  it  was  soon  successfully  executed. 
When  this  was  accomplished,  I  sent  the  English  sailor  into 
the  cabin  to  keep  Diggins  company,  and  we  set  a  watch  on 
deck  of  two  and  two,  Marble  and  myself  taking  charge  four' 
hours  and  four  hours,  in  the  old  mode. 

I  acknowledge  that  I  slept  little  that  night.  Two  or  three 
times  we  detected  Sennit  attempting  to  haul  close  up  under 
the  ship's  stern,  out  of  all  question  with  a  view  to  surprise 
us,  but  as  often  would  he  drop  to  the  length  of  his  tow-rope, 
as  he  saw  Marble's  head,  or  mine,  watching  him  above  the 
taffrail.  When  the  day  dawned  I  was  called,  and  was  up 
and  on  the  lookout  as  our  horizon  enlarged  and  brightened 
round  the  ship.  The  great  object  was  to  ascertain,  as  early 
as  possible,  what  vessels  might  be  in  our  neighborhood. 

But  a  solitary  sail  was  visible.  She  appeared  to  be  a 
ship  of  size,  close-hauled,  heading  to  the  southward  and 
eastward :  by  steering  on  our  proper  course,  or  certainly  by 
diverging  a  little  to  the  northward,  it  would  be  an  easy 
matter  to  speak  her.  As  I  could  plainly  see  she  was  not  a 
ship-of-war,  my  plan  was  formed  in  a  moment.  On  com- 
municating it  to  Marble,  it  met  with  his  entire  approbation. 

Measures  were  taken,  accordingly,  to  carry  it  into  imme- 
diate execution. 

In  the  first  place,  I  ordered  Sennit,  who  was  awake,  and 
had  been,  I  believe,  the  whole  night,  to  haul  the  boat  up 
and  to  lay  hold  of  one  of  the  boat-tackles.     This  he  did 


236  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

willingly  enough,  no  doubt  expecting  that  he  was  to  be  re- 
ceived into  the  ship,  under  a  treaty.  I  stood  on  the  look- 
out, to  prevent  an  attack,  one  man  being  abundantly  able  to 
keep  at  bay  a  dozen  who  could  approach  only  by  ascending 
a  rope  hand  over  hand,  while  Marble  went  below  to  look 
after  the  two  worthies  who  had  been  snoring  all  night  in  the 
cabin.  In  a  minute  my  mate  reappeared,  leading  up  the 
seaman,  who  was  still  more  asleep  than  awake.  This  man 
was  directed  to  lay  hold  of  the  tackle  and  slide  down  into 
the  boat.  There  being  no  remedy,  and  descending  being 
far  easier  than  ascending,  this  exploit  was  soon  performed, 
and  we  were  well  rid  of  one  of  our  enemies.  Sennit  now 
began  to  remonstrate,  and  to  point  out  the  danger  there  was 
of  being  towed  under,  the  ship  going  through  the  water  the 
whole  time  at  the  rate  of  five  or  six  knots.  I  knew,  how- 
ever, that  the  English  were  too  skilful  to  run  the  risk  of 
being  drowned,  unnecessarily,  and  that  they  would  let  go  of 
the  tackle  before  they  would  suffer  the  boat  to  be  swamped. 
It  was  ticklish  work,  I  allow;  but  they  succeeded  surpris- 
ingly well  in  taking  care  of  themselves. 

We  had  more  difficulty  with  Diggins.  This  fellow  had 
been  so  beastly  drunk  that  he  scarce  knew  what  he  was 
about  when  awoke ;  and  Marble  rather  dragged  him  on  deck 
and  aft  to  the  taffrail  than  assisted  him  to  walk.  There  we 
got  him  at  last;  and  he  was  soon  dangling  by  the  tackle. 
So  stupid  and  enervated  was  the  master's  mate,  however, 
that  he  let  go  his  hold,  and  went  into  the  ocean.  The  souse 
did  him  good,  I  make  no  doubt;  and  his  life  was  saved  by 
his  friends,  one  of  the  sailors  catching  him  by  the  collar, 
and  raising  him  into  the  boat. 

Sennit  availed  himself  of  this  accident  to  make  further 
remonstrances  on  the  subject  of  having  any  more  men  put  in 
the  boat.  It  was  easy  to  see,  it  was  as  much  his  policy  to 
get  everybody  out  of  that  little  conveyance,  as  it  was  mine 
to  get  all  the  English  into  her. 

"For  God's  sake,  Captain  Wallingford,  knock  off  with 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  23/ 

this,  if  you  please,"  cried  the  lieutenant,  with  a  most  im- 
ploring sort  of  civility  of  manner.  "You  see  how  it  is;  we 
can  barely  keep  the  boat  from  swamping,  with  the  number 
we  have  in  her;  and  a  dozen  times  during  the  night  I 
thought  the  ship  would  drag  her  under.  Nothing  can  be 
easier  than  for  you  to  secure  us  all,  if  you  will  let  us  come 
on  board,  one  at  a  time." 

"I  do  not  wish  to  see  you  in  irons,  Mr.  Sennit;  and  this 
will  remove  any  necessity  for  resorting  to  an  expedient  so 
unpleasant.  Hold  on  upon  the  tackle,  therefore,  as  I  shall 
feel  obliged  to  cast  you  oif  entirely,  unless  you  obey  orders." 

This  threat  had  the  desired  effect.  One  by  one,  the  men 
were  let  up  out  of  the  forecastle,  and  sent  into  the  boat. 
Cooked  meat,  bread,  rum,  and  water  were  supplied  to  the 
English;  and,  to  be  ready  to  meet  any  accident,  we  lowered 
them  a  compass  and  Sennit's  quadrant.  We  did  the  last  at 
his  own  earnest  request,  for  he  seemed  to  suspect  we  in- 
tended sending  him  adrift,  as  indeed  was  my  plan,  at  the 
proper  moment. 

Although  the  boat  had  now  twelve  men  in  her,  she  was  in 
no  danger,  being  a  stout,  buoyant,  six-oared  yawl,  that  might 
have  held  twenty  on  an  emergency.  The  weather  looked 
promising,  too — the  wind  being  just  a  good  topgallant 
breeze  for  a  ship  steering  full  and  by.  The  only  thing 
about  which  I  had  any  qualms  was  the  circumstance  that 
southwest  winds  were  apt  to  bring  mists,  and  that  the  boat 
might  thus  be  lost.  The  emergency,  nevertheless,  was  one 
that  justified  some  risks,  and  I  pursued  my  plan  steadily. 

As  soon  as  all  the  English  were  in  the  boat,  and  well 
provided  with  necessaries,  we  felt  at  more  liberty  to  move 
about  the  ship,  and  exert  ourselves  in  taking  care  of  her. 
The  man  at  the  wheel  could  keep  an  eye  on  the  enemy — the 
Dawn  steering  like  a  pilot-boat.  Neb  was  sent  aloft  to  do 
certain  necessary  duty,  apd  the  topgallant-sails  being  loose, 
the  clewlines  were  overhauled,  and  the  sails  set.  I  did 
this  more  to  prevent  the  English  ship  from  suspecting  some- 


238  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

thing  wrong  at  seeing  a  vessel  running  off,  before  the  wind, 
under  such  short  canvas,  than  from  any  desire  to  get  ahead, 
since  we  were  already  going  so  fast  as  to  render  it  probable 
we  should  pass  the  other  vessel,  unless  we  altered  our  course 
to  meet  her. 

Diogenes  Billings,  the  cook,  had  now  a  little  leisure  to 
serve  us  a  warm  breakfast.  If  Mr.  Sennit  were  living,  I 
think  he  would  do  us  the  justice  to  say  he  was  not  forgotten. 
We  sent  the  people  in  the  boat  some  good  hot  coffee,  well 
sweetened,  and  they  had  a  fair  share  of  the  other  comfortable 
eatables  of  which  we  partook  ourselves.  We  also  got  out 
and  sent  them  the  masts  and  regular  sails  of  the  boat,  which 
was  fitted  to  carry  two  sprits. 

By  this  time  the  stranger  ship  was  within  two  leagues  of 
us,  and  it  became  necessary  to  act.  I  sent  Marble  aloft  to 
examine  the  horizon,  and  he  came  down  to  report  nothing 
else  was  in  sight.  This  boded  well.  I  proceeded  at  once 
to  the  taffrail,  where  I  hailed  the  boat,  desiring  Sennit  to 
haul  her  up  within  comfortable  conversing  distance.  This 
was  done  immediately. 

"  Mr.  Sennit,"  I  commenced,  "  it  is  necessary  for  us  to 
part  here.  The  ship  in  sight  is  English,  and  will  take  you 
up.  I  intend  to  speak  her,  and  will  take  care  that  she  knows 
where  you  are.  By  standing  due  east  you  will  easily  cut 
her  off,  and  there  cannot  be  a  doubt  of  her  picking  you  up." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  consider  a  moment,  Captain  Wall- 
ingford,"  Sennit  exclaimed,  "before  you  abandon  us  out 
here,  a  thousand  miles  from  land." 

"  You  are  just  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  miles  from 
Scilly,  and  not  much  more  from  Land's  End,  Mr.  Sennit, 
with  a  wind  blowing  dead  for  both.  Then  your  own  coun- 
trymen will  pick  you  up,  of  a  certainty,  and  carry  you  safe 
into  port." 

"Ay — into  one  of  the  West  India  islands;  if  an  English- 
man at  all,  yonder  vessel  is  a  running  West  Indiaman;  she 
may  take  us  all  the  way  to  Jamaica." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  239 

"  Well,  then,  you  will  have  an  opportunity  of  returning  at 
your  leisure.  You  wished  to  take  me  almost  as  much  out  of 
my  course ;  or,  if  not  absolutely  out  of  my  course,  quite  as 
much  out  of  my  time.  I  have  as  little  relish  for  Plymouth 
as  you  seem  to  have  for  Jamaica." 

"  But  the  stranger  may  be  a  Frenchman — now,  I  look  at 
him,  he  has  a  French  look." 

"  If  he  should  be  French,  he  will  treat  you  well.  It  will 
be  exchanging  beef  for  soup-maigre  for  a  week  or  two. 
These  Frenchmen  eat  and  drink,  as  well  as  you  English." 

"But,  Captain  Wallingford,  their  prisons!  This  fellow 
Bonaparte  exchanges  nobody  this  war,  and  if  I  get  into 
France  I  am  a  ruined  man." 

"  And  if  I  had  gone  into  Plymouth,  I  fear  I  should  have 
been  a  ruined  man,  too." 

"  Remember  we  are  of  the  same  blood,  after  all — people 
of  the  same  stock — just  as  much  countrymen  as  the  natives 
of  Kent  and  Suffolk.     Old  Saxon  blood,  both  of  us." 

"Thank  you,  sir;  I  shall  not  deny  the  relationship,  since 
it  is  your  pleasure  to  claim  it.  I  marvel,  however,  you  did 
not  let  your  cousin's  ship  pass  without  detaining  her." 

"How  could  I  help  it,  my  dear  Wallingford.?  Lord 
Harry  is  a  nobleman,  and  a  captain,  and  what  could  a  poor 
devil  of  a  lieutenant,  whose  commission  is  not  a  year  old, 
do  against  such  odds?  No,  no,  there  should  be  more  feel- 
ing and  good  fellowship  between  chaps  like  you  and  me, 
who  have  their  way  to  make  in  the  world." 

"You  remind  me  of  the  necessity  of  being  in  motion. 
Adieu,  Mr.  Sennit.     Cut,  Moses!" 

Marble  struck  a  blow  with  the  axe  on  the  studding-sail 
halyards,  and  away  the  Dawn  glided,  leaving  the  boat  toss- 
ing on  the  waves  twenty  fathoms  further  astern,  on  the  very 
first  send  of  the  sea.  What  Mr.  Sennit  said,  I  could  not 
hear,  now,  but  I  very  plainly  saw  him  shake  his  fist  at  me, 
and  his  head,  too;  and  I  make  no  manner  of  doubt,  if  he 
called  me  anything,  that  he  did  not  call  me  a  gentleman. 


240  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

In  ten  minutes  the  boat  was  fully  a  mile  astern.  At  first 
Sennit  did  not  appear  disposed  to  do  anything,  lying  mo- 
tionless on  the  water  in  sullen  stillness;  but  wiser  thought 
succeeded,  and,  stepping  his  two  masts,  in  less  than  twenty 
minutes  I  saw  his  sails  spread,  and  the  boat  making  the 
best  of  its  way  to  get  into  the  track  of  the  stranger. 

It  had  been  my  intention,  originally,  to  speak  the  strange 
ship,  as  I  had  told  Sennit;  but  seeing  there  was  no  proba- 
bility of  her  altering  her  course  so  as  to  pass  the  boat,  I 
changed  my  purpose,  and  stood  directly  athwart  her  forefoot, 
at  about  half  a  mile's  distance.  I  set  the  Yankee  bunting, 
and  she  showed  the  English  ensign  in  return.  Had  she 
been  French,  however,  it  would  have  made  no  odds  to  me, 
for  what  did  I  care  about  my  late  captors  becoming  prisoners 
of  war?  They  had  endeavored  to  benefit  themselves  at  my 
cost,  and  I  was  willing  enough  to  benefit  myself  at  theirs. 

We  made  our  preparations  for  setting  studding-sails  now, 
though  I  thought  there  were  signs  of  a  desire  in  the  Eng- 
lishman to  speak  me.  I  knew  he  must  be  armed,  and  felt 
no  wish  to  gratify  him,  inasmuch  as  he  might  take  it  into 
his  head  to  make  some  inquiries  concerning  the  boat,  which, 
if  not  already  visible  from  his  decks,  soon  must  be.  I  was 
certain  the  Dawn,  deep  as  she  was,  would  go  four  feet  to 
the  Indiaman's  three,  and,  once  past  him,  I  had  no  appre- 
hensions in  the  event  of  a  chase. 

The  English  ship  caught  sight  of  the  boat  when  we  were 
about  a  mile  on  his  lee-quarter,  with  lower  and  topmast 
studding-sails  set,  going  quite  eight  knots  on  a  due  east 
course.  We  became  aware  of  the  fact  by  her  hoisting  a 
jack  at  the  fore.  From  that  moment  I  gave  myself  no  con- 
cern on  the  subject  of  Sennit  and  his  prize  crew.  Twenty 
minutes  later,  we  saw  the  ship  back  her  main  topsail,  and,  by 
means  of  the  glasses,  we  plainly  perceived  the  boat  along- 
side of  her.  After  some  delay,  the  yawl  was  hoisted  on  the 
deck  of  the  ship,  and  the  latter  filled  her  topsail.  I  had 
some   curiosity  to   ascertain    what   would   come   next.     It 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  24 1 

would  seem  that  Sennit  actually  induced  the  master  of  the 
West  Indiaman  to  give  chase,  for  no  sooner  did  the  vessel 
gather  way  than  she  bore  up  after  us,  packing  on  everything 
that  would  draw.  We  were  greatly  rejoiced  at  having  im- 
proved the  leisure  time  in  making  sail  ourselves,  for  having 
a  lower  studding-sail  and  two  topmast  studding-sails  on  the 
ship,  when  this  race  began,  I  did  not  feel  much  apprehen- 
sion of  being  overtaken.  By  way  of  making  more  sure  of 
an  escape,  however,  we  set  the  royals. 

When  the  West  Indiaman  bore  up  in  chase,  we  were  about 
two  leagues  ahead  of  our  pursuer.  So  far  from  lessening 
this  distance,  though  she  carried  royal  studding-sails,  we 
gradually  increased  it  to  three,  until,  satisfied  he  could  do 
nothing,  the  master  of  the  strange  ship  took  in  his  light 
sails  and  hauled  by  the  wind  again,  carrying  the  late  prize 
crew  in  a  direct  line  from  England.  I  afterward  learned 
that  Sennit  and  his  companions  were  actually  landed  in  the 
island  of  Barbadoes,  after  a  pleasant  passage  of  only 
twenty-six  days.  I  make  no  doubt  it  took  them  much 
longer  to  get  back  again,  for  it  was  certain  that  not  one  of 
them  had  reappeared  in  England  six  months  from  that  day. 
.  We  now  had  the  ship  to  ourselves,  though  with  a  very 
diminished  crew.  The  day  was  the  time  to  sleep;  and,  re- 
lieving each  other  at  the  wheel,  those  who  were  off  duty 
slept  most  of  the  time  when  they  were  not  eating.  At  six 
in  the  evening,  however,  all  hands  were  up,  making  our  pre- 
parations for  the  night. 

At  that  hour  the  wind  was  steady  and  favorable,  the 
horizon  clear  of  vessels  of  every  sort,  and  the  prospects  of 
a  pleasant  night  were  sufficiently  good.  The  run  in  the 
course  of  the  day  was  equal  to  one  hundred  miles,  and  I 
computed  the  distance  to  Brest  at  something  less  than  four 
hundred  miles.  By  getting  in  nearer  with  the  land  I  should 
have  the  option  of  standing  for  any  French  port  I  pleased 
that  lay  between  Cherbourg  and  Bayonne. 

"  Well,  Moses,"  I  observed  to  my  old  friend  and  ship- 
16 


242  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

mate,  when  we  had  finished  our  survey,  "  this  looks  prom- 
ising! As  long  as  the  wind  remains  in  this  quarter,  we 
shall  do  well  enough;  should  we  actually  get  in  safely,  I 
shall  not  regret  the  delay ;  the  credit  of  having  done  so  good 
a  thing,  and  of  having  done  it  so  well,  being  worth  as  much 
to  me  as  any  interest  on  capital,  or  wear  and  tear  of  gear, 
can  possibly  be.  As  for  Mr.  Sennit,  I  fancy  he  is  some 
sixty  miles  off  here  at  the  southward  and  westward,  and 
we've  done  with  him  for  the  voyage." 

"  Suppose  he  should  fall  in  with  the  Speedy,  and  report 
what  has  happened,  Miles?"  returned  the  mate.  "I  have 
been  calculating  that  chance.  The  stranger  was  standing 
directly  for  the  frigate's  cruising  ground,  and  he  may  meet 
her.     We  will  not  halloo  till  we're  out  of  the  woods." 

"  That  risk  is  so  remote,  I  shall  not  let  it  give  me  any 
trouble.  It  is  my  intention  to  run  in  for  the  land  at  our 
fastest  rate  of  sailing,  and  then  profit  by  the  best  wind  that 
offers  to  get  into  the  nearest  haven.  If  you  can  suggest  a 
better  scheme,  Moses,  I  invite  you  to  speak." 

Marble  assented,  though  I  perceived  he  was  not  entirely 
free  from  the  apprehension  he  had  named  until  the  next 
morning  arrived,  bringing  with  it  no  change,  and  still  leav- 
ing us  a  clear  sea.  That  day  and  the  succeeding  night,  too, 
we  made  a  capital  run,  and  at  meridian  of  the  third  day  after 
the  recapture  of  the  Dawn,  I  calculated  our  position  to  be 
just  one  hundred  and  four  miles  to  the  southward  and  east- 
ward of  Ushant.  The  wind  had  shifted,  however,  and  it 
had  just  come  out  light  at  northeast.  We  went  to  work,  all 
hands  of  us,  to  get  in  the  studding-sails,  and  to  brace  up 
and  haul  aft;  an  operation  that  consumed  nearly  two  hours. 
We  were  so  busily  employed,  indeed,  as  to  have  little  or  no 
time  to  look  about  us,  and  my  surprise  was  the  less,  there- 
fore, when  the  cook  called  out  "  Sail  ho !  "  I  was  busy  trim- 
ming the  main-yard,  when  the  announcement  was  made,  and 
looking  up,  I  saw  a  lugger  standing  toward  us,  and  already 
within  long  gunshot.     I  afterwards  ascertained  that  perceiv- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  243 

ing  US  to  be  approaching  her,  this  craft  had  lain  like  a 
snake  in  the  grass,  under  bare  poles,  until  she  thought  us 
sufficiently  near,  when  she  made  sail  in  chase.  I  saw  at  a 
glance  several  important  facts :  in  the  first  place,  the  lugger 
was  French  beyond  all  dispute;  in  the  second,  she  was  a 
cruiser,  public  or  private;  in  the  third,  escape  from  herj 
under  any  circumstances,  was  very  highly  improbable.  But 
why  should  we  endeavor  to  escape  from  this  vessel  ?  The 
countries  were  at  peace:  we  had  just  bought  Louisiana  from 
France,  and  paid  fifteen  millions  of  dollars  for  it,  thereby 
not  only  getting  the  country  ourselves,  but  keeping  it  out 
of  the  hands  of  John  Bull,  and  we  were  said  to  be  excellent 
friends,  again.  Then  the  Dawn  had  extricated  herself  from 
English  clutches,  only  a  day  or  two  before;  no  doubt  the 
lugger  would  give  us  all  the  aid  we  could  require. 

"  She  is  French,  for  a  thousand  dollars,  Moses !  "  I  cried, 
lowering  my  glass  from  the  first  good  look  of  the  stranger; 
"  and  by  keeping  away  two  points,  we  shall  speak  her  in 
fifteen  minutes. 

"Ay,  French,"  rejoined  the  mate;  "but,  blast  *em  all 
round,  I'd  much  rather  have  nothing  to  do  with  any  of  the 
rogues.  I'll  tell  you  how  it  is.  Miles,  these  are  onmoraliz- 
ing  times,  and  the  sea  is  getting  to  be  sprinkled  with  so 
many  Van  Tassels  that  I'm  afeard  you  and  I'll  be  just  that 
dear,  good  old  soul,  my  mother,  and  little  Kitty,  to  be  fright- 
ened, or,  if  not  exactly  frightened,  to  be  wronged  out  of  our 
just  rights." 

"  Little  fear  of  that  this  time,  Moses — this  is  a  French- 
man ;  as  we  are  bound  to  a  French  port,  he'll  not  hesitate 
to  lend  us  half  a  dozen  hands,  in  order  to  help  us  along." 

"  Ay,  and  take  half  the  ship  and  cargo  for  salvage !  I 
know  these  piccaroons,  and  you  ought  to  know  'em  too, 
Miles,  for  it's  only  two  or  three  years  since  you  were  a  pris- 
oner of  war  among  'em.  That  was  a  delightful  feelin',  I 
rather  conclude." 

"  Times  are  altered,  Moses,  and  I'll  show  confidence  in 


244  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

the  change.  Keep  the  ship  away,  Neb — so;  meet  her — 
steer  for  the  lugger's  foremast;  that  will  do." 

Of  course,  these  orders  soon  brought  the  two  vessels 
alongside  of  each  other.  As  the  lugger  approached,  we 
made  her  out  to  be  a  stout,  but  active  craft,  of  sixteen  guns, 
and  apparently  full  of  men.  She  set  the  "  tricolor,"  when 
half  a  mile  distant,  sure  of  her  prey,  should  we  turn  out  to 
be  a  prize.  We  showed  him  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  fancying 
he  would  treat  them  as  a  friend. 

It  was  not  long  before  both  vessels  had  rounded-to,  and 
preparations  were  made  to  hail. 

"What  sheep's  zat?"  demanded  one  in  good  broken 
English. 

"  The  Dawn,  of  New  York — may  I  ask  the  name  of  your 
lugger?" 

"Le  Polisson — corsair  Frangais — what  you  load,  eh?  " 

"Sugar  and  coffee,  with  cochineal,  and  a  few  other 
articles." 

"Peste! — Vere  you  boun',  monsieur,  s* il  vous plait  V 

"  Hamburg." 

"Diable! — zis  is  non  ze  chemin.  How  you  came  here, 
sair,  viz  ze  vin'  at  sow-vess  ?  " 

"We  are  going  in  to  Brest,  being  in  need  of  a  little 
succor." 

"You  vish  salvage,  eh!  Parbleu,  we  can  do  you  zat 
mosh  good,  as  veil  as  anodair." 

I  was  then  ordered,  privateer  fashion,  to  lower  a  boat, 
and  to  repair  on  board  the  lugger  with  my  papers.  When 
told  I  had  no  stern  or  quarter-boat  to  lower,  the  Frenchman 
manifested  surprise;  but  he  sent  his  own  yawl  for  me.  My 
reception  on  board  the  Polisson  was  a  little  free  for  French- 
men. The  captain  received  me  in  person,  and  I  saw,  at  a 
glance,  I  had  to  deal  with  men  who  were  out  on  the  high 
seas,  with  the  fear  of  English  prison-ships  constantly  before 
their  eyes,  in  quest  of  gold.  I  was  not  invited  into  the 
cabin,  a  crowded,  dark  and  dirty  hole,  for,  in  that  day,  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  24$ 

French  were  notoriously  foul  in  their  vessels,  but  was  di- 
rected to  show  my  papers  seated  on  a  hen-coop. 

As  everything  was  regular  about  the  register,  manifest, 
and  clearance,  I  could  see  that  Monsieur  Gallois  was  not 
in  a  particularly  good  humor.  He  had  one,  whom  I  took  to 
be  a  renegade  Englishman,  with  him,  to  aid  in  the  examin- 
ation, though,  as  this  man  never  spoke  in  my  presence,  I 
was  unable  precisely  to  ascertain  who  he  was.  The  two 
had  a  long  consultation  in  private,  after  the  closest  scrutiny 
could  detect  no  flaw  in  the  papers.  Then  Monsieur  Gallois 
approached  and  renewed  the  discourse. 

"  Vy  you  have  no  boat,  sair?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  lost  my  boat,  three  days  since,  about  a  hundred  leagues 
to  the  southward  and  westward." 

"  It  is  not  have  bad  veddair !  Why  you  got  no  more 
marins  in  your  sheep? — eh!  " 

I  saw  it  would  be  best  to  tell  the  whole  truth,  at  once; 
for,  were  I  to  get  any  aid  from  this  lugger,  the  facts,  sooner 
or  later,  must  be  made  known.  Acoordingly,  I  gave  the 
Frenchman,  and  his  English-looking  companion,  a  full  ac- 
count of  what  had  occurred  between  us  and  the  Speedy. 
After  this  narrative,  there  was  another  long  conference  be- 
tween Monsieur  Gallois  and  his  friend.  Then  the  boat 
was  again  manned,  and  the  captain  of  the  lugger,  accom- 
panied by  his  privy  counsellor  and  myself,  went  on  board 
the  Dawn.  Here,  a  very  cursory  examination  satisfied  my 
visitors  of  the  truth  of  my  story. 

I  confess,  I  expected  some  commendation  from  a  French- 
man, when  he  heard  the  ready  manner  in  which  we  had 
got  our  vessel  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Philistines.  No  such 
thing;  an  expressive  ^^ bon^^  had  escaped  Monsieur  Gallois, 
once  or  twice,  it  is  true;  but  it  was  apparent  he  was  looking 
much  sharper  for  some  pretext  to  make  us  a  prize  himself, 
than  for  reasons  to  ^ommend  our  conduct.  Each  new  aspect 
of  the  affair  was  closely  scanned,  and  a  new  conference 
with  the  adviser  was  held,  apart. 


246  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  Sair,"  said  Monsieur  Gallois,  "  I  have  mosh  regret,  but, 
your  sheep  is  bon  prize.  You  have  been  prisonnier  to  ze 
English,  ze  enemy  of  la  France,  and  you  shall  not  capture 
yourself.  L'Am^rique  is  not  at  war — is  neutral,  as  you 
shall  say,  and  ze  Am^ricains  cannot  make  ze  prize.  I  con- 
sidair  your  ship,  monsieur,  as  in  ze  hand  of  ze  English,  and 
shall  capture  him.  Mes  regrets  sont  vtfs,  mats  que  voulez- 
vousl  Ze  corsair  must  do  his  devoir,  ze  same  as  ze  sheep 
national.  I  shall  send  you  to  Brest,  vere,  if  you  be  not  sold 
par  un  dtcret,  I  shall  be  too  happy  to  restore  votre  battment. 
Allans  r' 

Here  was  a  denouement  to  the  affair,  with  a  vengeance!  I 
was  to  be  captured,  because  I  had  been  captured.  "  Once 
a  corporal,  always  a  corporal."  As  the  English  had  taken 
me,  the  French  would  take  me.  A  prize  to-day,  you  must 
be  a  prize  to-morrow.  I  have  always  thought  the  case  of 
the  Dawn  was  the  first  of  the  long  series  of  wrongs  that  were 
subsequently  committed  on  American  commerce,  in  virtue 
of  this  same  principle,  a  little  expanded  and  more  effectually 
carried  out,  perhaps,  and  which,  in  the  end,  terminated  by 
blockading  all  Europe,  and  interdicting  the  high  seas  on 
paper. 

I  knew  the  uselessness  of  remonstrating  with  a  rapacious 
privateersman.  "  Let  him  send  me  in,"  I  thought  to  my- 
self, at  first;  "it  is  just  where  I  wish  to  go;  once  in,  the 
minister  must  get  me  clear.  The  fellow  will  only  be  the 
dupe  of  his  own  covetousness,  and  I  shall  profit  by  it,  in 
the  degree  that  he  will  be  a  loser!  " 

I  presume  Monsieur  Gallois  entertained  a  very  different 
view  of  the  matter,  for  he  manifested  great  alacrity  in  throw- 
ing a  crew  of  no  less  than  seventeen  souls,  big  and  little,  on 
board  us.  I  watched  these  operations  in  silence,  as  did 
Neb  and  Diogenes.  As  for  Marble,  he  lighted  a  cigar,  took 
his  seat  on  the  windlass,  and  sat  in  dignified  anger,  ready 
to  explode  on  the  slightest  occasion,  yet  apprehensive  he 
might  be  sent  out  of  the  ship  should  he  betray  one-half  of 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  24/ 

what  he  felt.  Out  of  the  ship  neither  of  us  was  sent,  how- 
ever, the  French  probably  feeling  indisposed  to  be  troubled 
with  passengers  in  the  narrow  quarters  they  had  for  them- 
selves. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

You  are  safe ; 
Nay,  more— almost  triumphant.     Listen,  then, 
And  hear  my  words  of  truth. 


Marino  Faliero. 


It  was  just  four  o'clock,  p.m.,  when  the  Dawn  and  the 
Polisson  parted  company,  the  former  steering  on  her  old 
course  for  Brest,  while  the  latter  continued  her  cruise.  The 
lugger  sailed  like  a  witch,  and  away  she  went  toward  the 
of  chops  the  Channel  on  a  bowline,  leaving  us  to  stand 
toward  the  French  coast,  close-hauled,  also,  but  on  the 
opposite  tack. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  dwell  on  the  feelings  with 
which  we  four,  who  were  eye-witnesses  of  all  that  passed, 
witnessed  the  proceedings.  Even  Diogenes  was  indignant. 
As  for  Marble,  I  have  already  alluded  to  his  state  of  mind, 
and  if  I  had  not,  the  following  dialogue,  which  took  place 
at  sunset  (the  first  that  occurred  between  us  in  private  since 
the  second  capture — while  the  French  were  eating  their 
suppers),  would  serve  to  explain  it. 

"  Well,  Miles,"  the  mate  dryly  observed,  "  whatever  we 
have  to  do  must  be  done  at  once.  When  shall  we  begin  ? 
— in  the  middle,  or  in  the  morning  watch  ?  " 

"Begin  what^  Moses?  "  I  asked,  a  little  surprised  at  the 
settled  manner  in  which  he  put  his  question. 

"  To  throw  these  Frenchmen  overboard.  Of  course,  you 
don't  mean  to  let  them  carry  your  ship  into  Brest?  " 

"Why  not?  We  were  bound  to  Brest  when  we  fell  in 
with  them,  and  if  they  will  take  us  there,  it  will  only  save 
us  the  trouble  of  doing  it  ourselves." 


248  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  Don't  be  deceived  by  any  such  hope,  Miles.  IVe  been 
in  the  hands  of  Frenchmen  before  I  knew  you,  and  there  is 
little  hope  of  getting  out  of  them,  so  long  as  the  ship  and 
cargo  will  pay  for  detention.  No,  no,  my  dear  boy,  you 
know  I  love  you  better  than  anything  on  'arth,  my  dear  old 
soul  of  a  mother  and  little  Kitty  excepted,  for  it  wouldn't 
be  religious  to  like  you  better  than  my  own  flesh  and  blood; 
but  after  these  two,  I  like  you  better  than  any  one  on  'arth; 
and  I  can't  be  quiet  and  see  you  run  your  property  into  the 
fire.  Never  let  the  ship  go  into  France  after  what  has  hap- 
pened, if  you  can  help  it." 

"Can  we  possibly  help  it?  Or  do  you  propose  that  four 
men  shall  retake  this  vessel  from  seventeen  ?  " 

"  Well,  the  odds  are  not  so  great,  Miles,"  Marble  rejoined, 
looking  coolly  round  at  the  noisy  set  of  little  Frenchmen, 
who  were  all  talking  together  over  their  soup;  certainly  not 
a  very  formidable  band  in  a  hand-to-hand  encounter,  though 
full  of  fire  and  animation.  "  There  are  four  of  us,  and  only 
seventeen  of  them,  such  as  they  are.  I  rather  think  we 
could  handle  'em  all,  in  a  regular  set-to,  with  fists.  There's 
Neb,  he's  as  strong  as  a  jackass;  Diogenes  is  another  Her- 
cules; and  neither  you  nor  I  am  a  kitten.  I  consider  you 
as  a  match,  in  a  serious  scuffle,  for  the  best  four  among  them 
chaps." 

This  was  not  said  in  the  least  boastingly,  though  certainly 
the  estimate  of  comparative  force  made  by  my  mate  was 
enormously  out  of  the  way.  It  was  true  that  we  four  were 
unusually  powerful  and  athletic  men;  but  it  was  also  true 
that  six  of  the  French  might  very  well  be  placed  in  the  same 
category.  I  was  not  subject  to  the  vulgar  prejudice  of  na- 
tional superiority,  I  hope;  one  of  the  strongest  of  all  the 
weaknesses  of  our  very  weak  nature.  I  have  never  yet  been 
in  a  country  of  which  the  people  did  not  fancy  themselves, 
in  all  particulars,  the  salt  of  the  earth;  though  there  are 
very  different  degrees  in  the  modes  of  bragging  on  such 
subjects.     In  the  present  instance,  Marble  had  not  the  least 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  249 

idea  of  bragging,  however;  for  he  really  believed  we  four, 
in  an  open  onslaught,  fire-arms  out  of  the  question,  might 
have  managed  those  seventeen  Frenchmen.  I  think,  myself, 
we  might  have  got  along  with  twice  our  number,  taking  a 
fair  average  of  the  privateer's  men,  and  reducing  the  strug- 
gle to  the  arms  of  nature;  but  I  should  have  hesitated  a 
long  time  in  making  an  open  attack  even  on  them. 

Still,  I  began  to  regard  my  chances  of  escaping,  should 
we  be  sent  into  a  French  port  by  the  privateer,  as  far  less 
certain  than  they  had  appeared  at  first.  Marble  had  so 
much  to  say  of  the  anarchists  in  France,  as  he  had  known 
them  in  the  worst  period  of  the  Revolution,  and  so  many 
stories  to  tell  of  ships  seized  and  of  merchants  ruined,  that 
my  confidence  in  the  right  was  shaken.  Bonaparte  was 
then  in  the  height  of  his  consular  power — on  the  point  of 
becoming  emperor,  indeed — and  he  had  commenced  this 
new  war  with  a  virulence  and  disregard  of  acknowledged 
rights,  in  the  detention  of  all  the  English  then  resident  in 
France,  that  served  to  excite  additional  distrust.  Whatever 
may  be  said  of  the  comprehensiveness  and  vastness  of  the 
genius  of  Napoleon,  as  a  soldier  and  statesman,  I  presume 
few  upright  and  enlightened  men  can  now  be  found  to  eulo- 
gize his  respect  for  public  law.  At  any  rate,  I  began  to 
have  lively  misgivings  on  the  subject;  and  the  consultation 
between  my  mate  and  myself  terminated  in  our  coming  to  a 
resolution  to  serve  the  French  prize  crew  substantially  as 
we  had  served  the  English  prize  crew,  if  possible;  varying 
the  mode  only  to  suit  the  new  condition  of  things.  The 
last  precaution  was  necessary,  as,  in  the  fullness  of  my  con- 
fidence, I  had  made  Monsieur  Gallois  acquainted  with  all 
the  circumstances  of  throwing  the  fender  overboard,  and  the 
manner  in  which  we  had  got  possession  of  the  ship.  It  was 
not  to  be  expected,  therefore,  that  particular  artifice  could 
be  made  to  succeed  with  him. 

It  must  have  been  the  result  of  prejudice,  and  of  constant 
reading  of  articles  extracted  from  the  English  journals,  that 


250  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

influenced  me;  but  I  confess  it  seemed  a  much  easier  mat- 
ter to  retake  my  ship  from  seventeen  Frenchmen,  than  from 
twelve  Englishmen.  I  was  not  so  besotted  as  to  suppose 
surprise  or  artifice  would  not  be  necessary  in  either  case; 
but,  had  the  issue  been  made  up  on  brute  force,  I  should 
have  begun  the  fray  with  greater  confidence  in  the  first  than 
in  the  last  case.  All  this  would  have  been  very  wrong  in 
our  particular  situation,  though,  as  a  rule  and  as  applied  to 
seafaring  men,  it  might  be  more  questionable.  How  often, 
and  how  much,  have  I  seen  reason  to  regret  the  influence 
that  is  thus  silently  obtained  amongst  us,  by  our  consenting 
to  become  the  retailers  of  other  people's  prejudices?  One 
of  the  reasons  why  we  have  so  long  been  mere  serviles  on 
this  point  is  owing  to  the  incompleteness  of  the  establish- 
ments of  the  different  leading  presses  of  the  country.  We 
multiply,  instead  of  enlarging  these  enterprises.  The  want 
of  concentration  of  talent  compels  those  who  manage  them 
to  resort  to  the  scissors  instead  of  the  pen ;  and  it  is  almost 
as  necessary  for  an  American  editor  to  be  expert  with  the 
shears  as  it  is  for  a  tailor.  Thus  the  public  is  compelled 
to  receive  hashes,  instead  of  fresh  dishes;  and  things  that 
come  from  a  distance,  notoriously  possessing  a  charm,  it 
gets  the  original  cookery  of  London,  instead  of  that  of  their 
own  country. 

Prejudice  or  not,  confidence  is  not  a  bad  thing  when  a 
conflict  is  unavoidable.  It  may  be  well  to  respect  your 
enemy  down  to  the  very  moment  of  making  the  chrage ;  but, 
that  commenced,  the  more  he  is  despised  the  better.  When 
Diogenes  and  Neb  were  told  it  would  be  necessary  to  go 
over  again  the  work  so  lately  thought  to  be  completed, 
neither  of  the  negroes  manifested  the  least  concern.  Di- 
ogenes had  been  in  the  Crisis,  as  well  as  Neb,  and  he  had 
got  to  entertain  a  very  Anglican  sort  of  notion  of  French 
prowess  on  the  water;  and,  as  for  my  own  black,  he  would 
have  followed  without  the  slightest  remonstrance  wherever 
"  Masser  Mile  please  to  lead." 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  2$  I 

"They's  only  French,"  said  Diogenes,  in  a  philosophical 
sort  of  way;  "we  can  handle  'em  like  children." 

I  would  not  discourage  this  notion,  though  I  saw  its  folly. 
Telling  our  two  supporters  to  hold  themselves  ready  for  an 
attack,  Marble  and  I  left  them,  to  cogitate  and  commence 
the  manner  of  proceeding.  Whatever  was  done,  must  be 
done  that  night ;  there  being  reason  to  think  the  ship  would 
get  in  somewhere,  next  day. 

The  name  of  our  prize  master  was  Le  Gros.  He  was  not 
aptly  designated,  however,  being  a  little,  shrivelled,  yellow- 
faced  fellow,  who  did  not  seem  to  be  a  Hercules  at  all. 
Nevertheless,  unlike  Sennit,  he  was  all  vigilance  and 
activity.  He  never  left  the  deck,  and,  being  so  near  in 
with  the  coast,  I  felt  pretty  certain  we  should  have  his  com- 
pany above  board  all  night.  Whatever  was  attempted, 
therefore,  must  be  attempted  in  defiance  of  his  watchfulness. 
Nor  was  this  all ;  additional  prudence  was  necessary,  since 
we  were  so  near  the  coast  as  greatly  to  increase  the  chance 
of  our  being  picked  up  by  some  other  French  cruiser,  should 
we  even  escape  from  this.  Extreme  caution  was  our  cue, 
therefore,  and  Marble  and  I  separated,  seemingly  each  to 
take  his  repose,  with  a  perfect  understanding  on  all  these 
points. 

Monsieur  Le  Gros  paid  no  attention  to  the  staterooms,  or 
to  the  accommodations  below.  His  whole  care  was  be- 
stowed on  the  ship.  Apprehension  of  falling  in  with  some 
British  cruiser  kept  his  eyes  wide  open  and  his  gaze  con- 
stantly sweeping  the  horizon,  so  far  as  the  obscurity  would 
allow.  I  was  incessantly  on  the  alert  myself,  stealing  up 
from  the  cabin,  as  far  as  the  companion-way,  at  least  a 
dozen  time  in  the  course  of  the  night,  in  the  hope  of  finding 
him  asleep;  but,  on  each  occasion,  I  saw  him  moving  up 
and  down  the  quarter-deck,  in  rapid  motion,  armed  to  the 
teeth,  and  seemingly  insensible  to  fatigue  and  all  the  other 
weaknesses  of  nature.  It  was  useless  to  attempt  to  find  him 
off  his  guard,  and,  worn  out,  Marble  and  myself  fell  into 


252  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

deep  sleep,  about  three  in  the  morning,  out  of  pure  exhaus- 
tion. As  for  the  two  negroes,  they  slept  the  entire  night 
waiting  our  summons  for  their  rallying  to  the  work.  Neb, 
in  particular,  had  all  the  absence  of  responsibility  that  dis- 
tinguishes the  existence  of  a  slave,  feeling  very  much  the 
same  unconcern  as  to  the  movements  of  the  vessel  as  any 
other  human  being  feels  in  connection  with  those  of  the 
earth  in  which  he  is  a  passenger. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  when  I  awoke,  refreshed  but  disap- 
pointed. Marble  was  still  snoring  in  his  berth,  and  I  was 
compelled  to  give  him  a  call.  I  could  perceive  there  was  a 
breeze,  and  that  the  ship  was  going  through  the  water  fast; 
by  her  lurching,  she  was  close-hauled.  It  takes  a  seaman 
but  a  minute  or  two  to  throw  on  his  loose  attire,  and  no 
time  was  lost  on  the  present  occasion.  While  my  mate  and 
I  were  thus  engaged,  the  former  happened  to  cast  a  look  out 
of  the  cabin  windows,  which  were  open  on  account  of  the 
warmth  of  the  weather,  and  offered  no  obstruction  to  a  long 
view  of  the  ocean  directly  in  our  wake. 

"Halloo,  Miles!"  Marble  exclaimed;  "by  Jove,  we  are 
chased !  Such  is  the  secret  of  Mr.  Frog's  being  so  much 
alive  this  fine  morning.  Yonder  comes  a  frigate,  or  my 
name  is  not  Oloff  Marble." 

A  frigate  there  was,  sure  enough.  She  was  about  two 
leagues  astern  of  us,  and  resembled  a  pyramidal  cloud  mov- 
ing along  the  water,  so  completely  were  her  spars  covered 
with  canvas.  That  she  was  an  Englishman  was  more  than 
probable,  from  the  cruising  ground,  as  well  as  from  the  fact 
of  the  prize  crew  running  from  her.  In  that  day,  no  French 
ship-of-war  loitered  long  at  any  particular  point,  her  enemies 
being  so  numerous  as  to  render  pursuit  certain  ere  many 
hours  could  elapse.  After  determining  these  facts  in  our 
minds.  Marble  and  I  went  on  deck. 

My  first  look  was  ahead.  To  my  deep  regret,  there  lay 
the  land,  actually  within  three  leagues  of  us!  The  wind 
was  fresh  at  northeast,  and  Monsieur  Le  Gros  appeared  to 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  253 

be  Steering  for  a  group  of  islands  that  lay  a  little,  and  ever  so 
little,  on  our  lee-bow.  Brest  was  out  of  the  question ;  if  we 
could  get  in  with  the  land,  among  these  islands,  it  was  as 
much  as  we  could  do,  before  the  racer  astern  would  be  up  to  us. 
The  Frenchmen  were  evidently  alarmed;  an  English  prison- 
ship,  with  all  its  known  horrors,  being  very  vividly  placed 
before  their  eyes.  Monsieur  Le  Gros  screamed,  and  gave 
twenty  orders  in  a  minute,  while  the  other  sixteen  men  made 
more  noise  than  would  be  heard  among  a  thousand  Ameri- 
cans. Heavens!  what  a  clamor  those  chaps  kept  up,  and 
all  about  nothing,  too,  the  ship  having  every  stitch  of  canvas 
on  her  that  would  draw.  I  felt  like  the  Arab  who  owned  the 
rarest  mare  in  the  desert,  but  who  was  coming  up  with  the 
thief  who  had  stolen  her,  himself  riding  an  inferior  beast,  and 
all  because  the  rogue  did  not  understand  the  secret  of  making 
the  mare  do  her  best.  "Pinch  her  right  ear,  or  I  shall 
overtake  you,"  called  out  the  Arab ;  and  more  than  twenty 
times  was  I  disposed  to  trim  the  Dawn's  sails,  and  send  Neb 
to  the  wheel,  in  order  to  escape  the  disgrace  of  being  over- 
hauled by  the  frigate.  There  was  a  chance  for  me,  how- 
ever, in  this  second  recapture,  and  I  thought  it  preferable  to 
let  things  take  their  course.  My  new  conquerors  might  be 
mystified;  whereas,  there  was  little  hope  for  us,  should  Mon- 
sieur Le  Gros  get  in  after  such  an  uproar. 

In  little  more  than  an  hour's  time,  the  Dawn  began  to 
shorten  sail,  hauling  up  her  courses  and  topgallant-sails, 
rocks  showing  themselves  within  half  a  mile  of  her.  A 
large  boat  met  us  here,  coming  alongside  as  soon  as  certain 
who  we  were.  The  people  in  this  boat  were  fishermen,  and 
were  so  much  accustomed  to  all  the  movements  of  the  coast, 
that  they  understood  the  nature  of  the  affair  as  soon  as  they 
were  apprised  of  our  character.  Of  course,  they  were  eagerly 
questioned  touching  the  possibility  of  the  Dawn's  being 
carried  in  through  ajiy  of  the  rocky-looking  passages  that 
lay  before  us.  Monsieur  Le  Gros  looked  very  blank  when 
he  was  told  that  all  his  hopes  lay  in  there  being  sufficient 


254  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

water  in  one  channel,  and  of  that  the  fishermen  confessed 
their  own  ignorance.  If  the  noise  and  confusion  were  an- 
noying before  these  men  came  alongside,  it  was  astounding 
afterward.  All  this  time  the  frigate  was  drawing  near  fast, 
and  half  an  hour  would  certainly  bring  her  within  gunshot. 
There  is  something  intoxicating  in  a  race.  I  felt  a  strong 
desire  to  get  away  from  the  Englishman  at  the  very  moment 
I  believed  my  chances  for  justice  would  be  worst  in  the 
hands  of  the  French.  Feeling  the  necessity  of  losing  no 
time,  I  now  made  a  lively  appeal  to  Moniseur  Le  Gros,  my- 
self, proposing  that  we  should  both  go  in  with  the  fishing- 
boat  and  examine  the  passage  ourselves.  By  using  proper 
activity,  the  whole  might  be  done  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour; 
we  should  then  know  whether  to  carry  the  ship  in,  or  to  run 
on  the  rocks  and  save  what  we  could  of  the  cargo,  by  means 
of  lighters. 

Order  on  board  ship  is  out  of  the  question  without  cool- 
ness, silence,  and  submission.  A  fussy  sailor  is  always  a 
bad  sailor;  calmness  and  quiet  being  the  great  requisites 
for  the  profession,  after  the  general  knowledge  is  obtained. 
No  really  good  officer  ever  makes  a  noise  except  when  the 
roar  of  the  elements  renders  it  indispensable,  in  order  to  be 
heard.  In  that  day,  French  ships-of-war  did  not  understand 
this  important  secret,  much  less  French  privateers.  I  can 
only  liken  the  clamor  that  was  now  going  on  in  the  Dawn's 
lee-gangway  to  that  which  is  raised  by  Dutch  fisherwomen 
on  the  arrival  of  the  boats  from  sea  with  their  cargoes.  To 
talk  of  Billingsgate  in  comparison  with  these  women  is  to 
do  the  Holland  and  Flemish  ladies  gross  injustice,  English 
phlegm  being  far  more  silent  than  Dutch  phlegm.  No 
sooner  was  my  proposition  made  than  it  was  accepted  by 
acclamation,  and  the  privateersmen  began  to  pour  into  the 
boat,  heels  over  head,  without  order,  and  I  may  say  without 
orders.  Monsieur  Le  Gros  was  carried  off  in  the  current, 
and,  when  the  fishermen  cast  off,  but  three  Frenchmen  were 
left  in  the  ship;  all  the  others  had  been  swept  away  by  a 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  255 

zeal  to  be  useful,  and  that  was  a  little  quickened,  perhaps, 
by  the  horrors  of  an  English  prison-ship.  Even  Diogenes 
laughed  at  the  random  manner  in  which  we  were  thus  left 
in  possession  of  our  own.  There  is  no  question  that  the 
French  intended  to  return,  while  there  is  no  question  it  was 
also  their  intention  to  go.  In  short,  they  were  in  a  tumult, 
and  acted  under  an  impulse  instead  of  under  the  govern- 
ment of  their  reasons. 

"  You  will  have  the  complaisance,  Monsieur  Wallingford," 
cried  Le  Gros,  as  the  boat  started  away  from  the  ship's  side, 
**  to  fill  the  topsail,  and  run  for  the  passage,  when  we  wave 
our  hats." 

"  Ay,  ay,"  I  answered ;  *'  leave  it  to  me  to  fill  the  topsails, 
and  to  give  the  John  Bulls  the  slip." 

This  was  said  in  French,  and  it  drew  cries  of  "  Bon !  " 
and  of  "  Vive  la  France !  "  from  all  in  the  boat.  What  the 
fellows  thought,  I  will  not  pretend  to  say;  but  if  they 
thought  they  were  to  get  on  board  the  Dawn  again,  they  did 
not  know  the  men  they  left  behind  them.  As  for  the  French- 
men who  remained,  Marble  and  I  could  have  managed  them 
alone ;  and  I  was  glad  they  were  with  us,  since  they  could 
be  made  to  pull  and  haul.  The  ship  was  under  her  three 
topsails,  spanker,  and  jib,  when  Monsieur  Le  Gros  thus  sin- 
gularly gave  her  up  to  my  control;  the  main-yard  lying 
square.  My  first  step  was  to  fill  the  topsail  and  gather  way 
on  the  vessel.  This  was  soon  done;  and  keeping  away  I 
stood  on  toward  the  rocks,  which  soon  bore  on  our  weather- 
bow,  determined  to  run  as  near  them  as  I  dared,  thinking  to 
frighten  the  Englishman  so  much,  as  to  induce  him  to  keep 
at  arm's  length.  I  might  cast  away  the  ship,  it  is  true ;  but 
even  this  would  be  preferable  to  falling  again  into  English 
hands,  with  all  the  occurrences  still  so  recent.  A  year  or 
two  later,  the  affair  of  the  Speedy's  men  might  be  forgotten; 
but  while  a  thing  is  fresh  there  is  always  some  danger  of 
its  creating  feeling.  At* least,  thus  I  reasoned,  and  thus  I 
acted. 


256  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Once  more  I  had  the  Dawn  under  my  own  orders;  and 
could  I  keep  the  frigate  out  of  gunshot,  I  cared  very  little 
for  Monsieur  Le  Gros.  At  first,  the  privateersmen  supposed 
that,  in  filling  away,  I  merely  intended  to  further  their 
views;  but  no  sooner  did  they  perceive  the  ship  standing 
on  to  leeward  of  the  passage,  than  the  truth  seemed  to  flash 
on  their  befogged  faculties.  This  was  not  until  the  depth 
of  water  was  ascertained  to  be  sufficient  for  their  purpose ; 
and  such  a  flourishing  of  tarpaulins  and  greasy  caps  as  suc- 
ceeded, I  had  not  witnessed  for  many  a  day.  All  these 
signals  and  calls,  however,  were  disregarded;  but  away  went 
the  Dawn,  with  her  yards  just  rounded  in  a  point,  with  the 
wind  fairly  abeam,  coasting  along  as  near  the  islands  as  I 
thought  it  at  all  prudent  to  venture.  As  for  the  frigate,  she 
was  still  keeping  her  luff,  in  order  to  get  far  enough  to 
windward  to  make  sure  of  her  prey.  At  this  moment,  the 
two  ships  might  have  been  a  league  asunder. 

Monsieur  Le  Gros  was  no  sooner  aware  of  the  trick  I  had 
played  him,  than  out  he  dashed  with  his  fishing-boat,  mak- 
ing sail  in  chase,  and  helping  his  dull  craft  along  with  half 
a  dozen  oars.  Seeing  this,  I  let  the  foresail  drop,  and 
sheeted  home  and  hoisted  the  main-topgallant-sail ;  not  that 
I  felt  at  all  afraid  of  the  boat,  but  because  it  was  my  wish 
to  avoid  bloodshed,  if  possible.  Among  the  other  absurdi- 
ties the  French  had  committed  in  their  haste  to  get  away 
from  the  frigate  was  that  of  leaving  six  or  eight  muskets, 
with  several  cartridge-boxes,  behind  them.  With  these 
weapons  it  would  have  been  easy  for  us  to  have  given  the 
privateersmen  such  a  hint  as  would  not  fail  to  keep  them  at 
bay.  Then  I  always  had  my  pistols,  which  were  not  only 
valuable  implements,  but  were  double-barrelled  and  well 
loaded.  Our  only  ground  of  alarm,  therefore,  came  from 
the  Englishman. 

Possibly  Monsieur  Le  Gros  thought  differently,  for  his 
chase  was  animated  and  apparently  in  earnest.  But,  not- 
withstanding all  his  zeal,  the  Dawn  left  him  astern,  going 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  257 

through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  about  six  knots.  But  the 
frigate  was  coming  up  at  the  rate  of  eight  knots,  making  it 
certain  that  she  would  get  us  under  her  guns  in  an  hour  or 
two  at  most,  unless  some  great  advantage  was  obtained  over 
her  by  means  of  the  complicated  navigation  and  shallow 
water. 

When  at  Bordeaux,  the  previous  year,  I  had  purchased  a 
chart  of  the  French  coast,  with  a  book  containing  directions 
similar  to  those  which  are  to  be  found  in  our  own  "  Coast- 
ing Pilot."  As  a  matter  of  course,  I  had  them  both  with  me, 
and  I  found  them  of  great  service  on  this  occasion.  The  text 
described  the  islands  we  were  near  as  being  separated  by  nar- 
row channels  of  deep  water,  in  which  the  danger  was  prin- 
cipally owing  to  sunken  rocks.  It  was  these  rocks  that  had 
induced  the  fishermen  to  pronounce  the  passage  imprac- 
ticable; and  my  coasting  directions  cautioned  all  navigators 
to  be  wary  in  approaching  them.  The  Dawn,  however,  was 
in  precisely  the  situation  which  might  render  these  rocks  of 
the  last  service  to  her ;  and  preferring  shipwreck  to  seeing 
my  vessel  in  either  English  or  French  hands  again,  I  de- 
termined to  trust  to  the  very  dangers  of  the  navigation  as 
my  safeguard.  I  might  go  clear  of  the  bottom,  but  it  was 
certain,  if  I  kept  outside,  I  could  not  escape  from  the 
frigate.  An  accidental  occurrence,  in  connection  with  the 
boat,  favored  us,  and  I  was  not  slow  to  profit  by  the  advan- 
tage it  offered.  Finding  it  impossible  to  come  up  with  the 
ship  by  keeping  in  her  wake.  Monsieur  Le  Gros  had  taken 
a  short  cut,  in  the  boat,  between  some  islets  that  we  were 
obliged  to  round,  and  he  actually  came  out  ahead  of  us. 
Instead  of  endeavoring  to  close  with  the  ship,  however,  he 
led  into  an  excessively  narrow  passage,  making  furious 
gestures  for  us  to  follow.  This  was  at  the  instant  when  the 
frigate  fired  her  first  gun  at  us,  the  shot  of  which  just  fell  a 
very  little  short.  Did  we  pass  the  channel  in  which  Mon- 
sieur Le  Gros  had  carried  the  boat,  we  should  fall  to  lee- 
ward of  the  whole  group  of  islands — or  islets  would  be  the 
»7 


258  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

better  word — when  all  would  literally  depend  on  our  heels. 
There  was  but  a  moment  in  which  to  decide;  in  another 
minute,  the  ship  would  be  past  the  opening,  which  could 
only  be  regained  by  tacking,  if  it  could  be  regained  at  all. 
I  gave  the  order  to  luff. 

Our  three  Frenchmen,  fancying  themselves  now  certainly 
bound  to  la  belle  France,  were  as  active  as  cats.  Neb  and 
Diogenes  throwing  their  powerful  force  on  the  braces  with 
a  good  will,  too,  we  soon  had  the  Dawn  braced  sharp  up, 
heading  well  to  windward  of  the  passage.  Monsieur  Le 
Gros  was  delighted.  Apparently,  he  thought  all  was  right 
again;  and  he  led  the  way,  flourishing  both  hands,  while 
all  in  the  boat,  fishermen  inclusive,  were  bawling,  and 
shouting,  and  gesticulating  in  a  way  that  would  certainly 
have  confused  us,  had  I  cared  a  straw  about  them.  I 
thought  it  well  enough  to  follow  the  boat;  but  as  for  their 
cries,  they  were  disregarded.  Had  Monsieur  Le  Gros  seen 
fit  to  wait  for  the  ship  in  the  narrowest  part  of  the  inlet,  he 
might  have  embarrassed  us;  but,  so  far  from  this,  he  ap- 
peared to  be  entirely  carried  away  by  the  excitement  of  the 
chase,  and  was  as  eager  to  push  ahead  as  a  boy  who  was 
struggling  to  be  first  in  at  the  goal. 

It  was  a  nervous  instant  when  the  Dawn's  bow  first  entered 
the  narrow  passage.  The  width,  from  rock  to  rock,  speak- 
ing only  of  visible  things,  might  have  been  thirty  fathoms; 
and  this  strait  narrowed,  rather  than  widened,  for  several 
hundred  feet,  until  it  was  reduced  fully  one-third.  The  tide 
ran  like  a  milltail,  and  it  was,  perhaps,  lucky  for  us  that 
there  was  no  time  for  reflection  or  irresolution ;  the  aspect 
of  things  being  so  serious  as  might  well  have  thrown  the 
most  decided  man  into  uncertainty  and  doubt.  The  current 
sucked  the  vessel  in  like  the  Maelstrom,  and  we  were 
whirling  ahead  at  a  rate  that  would  have  split  the  ship  from 
her  keel  to  her  top-timbers  had  we  come  upon  a  sunken 
rock.  The  chances  were  about  even;  for  I  regarded  the 
pilotage  as  a  very  random  sort  of  an  affair.     We  glanced  on 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  259 

in  breathless  expectation,  therefore,  not  knowing  but  each 
instant  would  involve  us  in  ruin. 

This  jeopardy  endured  about  five  minutes.  At  the  end  of 
that  brief  space,  the  ship  had  run  the  gauntlet  for  the  dis- 
tance of  a  mile,  driven  onward  by  the  current  rather  than 
by  the  wind.  So  tremendous  was  our  velocity  in  the  nar- 
rowest part,  that  I  actually  caught  myself  grasping  the  rail 
of  the  ship,  as  we  glanced  past  the  rocks,  as  if  to  keep  my- 
self from  a  fall.  The  French  gave  a  loud  and  general  shout 
just  as  the  boat  issued  out  of  this  race-way  into  a  wide  capa- 
cious bay,  within  the  group  of  islands,  which  had  the  ap- 
pearance of  forming  a  roadstead  of  some  note.  There  was 
a  battery  on  the  end  of  the  last  island,  a  lighthouse,  and  a 
cluster  of  fishermen's  huts;  all  indicating  that  the  place 
was  one  of  considerable  resort. 

Monsieur  Le  Gros  was  waiting  for  us  about  two  cables' 
lengths  from  the  place  where  we  issued  into  the  bay,  having 
considerately  chosen  an  anchorage  for  us,  at  a  point  com- 
manded by  the  four  six-and-thirty  pounders  of  the  battery. 
The  distance  enabled  me  to  look  about.  Within  the  range 
of  islands  was  a  sort  of  sound,  quite  a  league  in  width,  and 
on  this  sound  the  main  coast  presented  several  bays  in  which 
coasters  were  at  anchor.  Most  of  the  prominent  points  had 
small  batteries,  of  no  great  force  as  against  a  fleet,  or  even 
against  a  single  heavy  ship,  but  which  were  sufficiently  for- 
midable to  keep  a  sloop-of-war  or  a  frigate  at  a  respectable 
distance.  As  all  the  guns  were  heavy,  a  vessel  passing 
through  the  middle  of  this  sound  would  hardly  be  safe,  more 
especially  did  the  gunners  do  their  duty.  By  anchoring  at 
the  spot  where  the  boat  waited  for  us,  we  at  once  gave  up 
the  ship  to  the  privateersmen,  the  battery  first  mentioned 
commanding  that  point  completely.  As  good  luck  would 
have  it,  however,  an  expedient  offered,  in  the  direction  of 
the  wind  and  tide,  which  w^e  opposed  to  each  other,  and  I 
availed  myself  of  the  circumstances  as  promptly  as  possible. 

Do  our  best,  the  Dawn  could  not  fetch  the  spot  where  the 


26o  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

boat  had  dropped  her  kedge.  We  passed  within  hail  of  it, 
notwithstanding,  and  loud  were  the  calls  to  us  to  shorten 
sail  and  anchor,  as  we  came  within  hearing.  Affecting  to 
be  anxious  to  get  up  to  the  precise  point  where  the  boat  lay, 
I  mystified  Monsieur  Le  Gros  in  my  answers,  telling  him  I 
would  stand  on  a  short  distance,  or  until  I  could  fetch  him, 
when  I  would  tack.  As  this  was  intelligible  it  satisfied  my 
captors,  though  a  hundred  ^^ n'importes"  were  yelled  after 
us,  and  "  tCimporte "  it  was  in  fact,  one  spot  being  just  as 
good  to  anchor  in  as  another,  for  half  a  league  all  round  us. 

The  Dawn  did  her  duty  that  day,  and  there  was  occasion 
for  it,  the  frigate  still  continuing  the  chase.  The  circuit  she 
had  to  make,  and  the  berth  she  thought  it  prudent  to  give 
the  first  battery,  enabled  us  to  gain  on  her  materially. 
When  we  passed  the  boat,  the  Englishman's  upper  sails  were 
visible  on  the  outside  of  the  island,  flying  along  the  rocks 
at  a  rate  that  spoke  well  of  his  heels.  He  rounded  the 
point  when  we  were  midsound,  but  here  the  battery  served 
us  a  good  turn,  for,  instead  of  hauling  up  close  by  the  wind, 
the  English  were  obliged  to  run  off  with  the  wind  free,  to 
keep  out  of  harm's  way.  Their  presence,  notwithstanding, 
was  probably  of  great  service  to  the  Dawn,  for  there  had 
been  a  communication  between  Monsieur  Le  Gros  and  the 
batteries,  by  means  of  a  small  boat  sent  from  the  latter,  and 
we  should  have  been  very  likely  to  have  a  messenger,  in  the 
shape  of  a  shot,  sent  after  us,  when  it  was  seen  we  continued 
to  stand  across  for  the  main  instead  of  tacking  for  the 
designated  anchorage,  had  not  the  men  in  the  battery  had 
the  higher  game  of  the  frigate  in  view.  As  soon  as  John 
Bull  got  within  range,  the  gunners  began  to  play  on  him, 
but  it  was  at  a  distance  that  rendered  their  fire  next  to 
useless. 

Any  one  in  the  least  acquainted  with  the  movements  of 
ships,  will  understand  the  advantage  we  now  possessed. 
The  Dawn  was  beating  through  a  good  wide  passage,  with 
a  young  flood  breasting  her  to  windward,  and  a  steady  six- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  26 1 

knot  breeze  blowing.  The  passage  between  these  islands 
and  the  main  was  about  four  leagues  long,  while  that  which 
the  fishermen  had  wished  us  first  to  enter  was  near  the 
middle  of  the  group.  We  were  already  a  mile  from  the 
boat,  and  considerably  to  windward  of  her,  the  tide  having 
done  that  much  for  us,  when  Monsieur  Le  Gros  saw  fit  to 
lift  his  kedge  and  commence  a  new  pursuit.  He  had  the 
sagacity  to  see  that  we  should  soon  be  obliged  to  tack,  on 
account  of  the  main  coast,  and  to  stand  over  toward  the 
island  again ;  accordingly,  instead  of  following  in  our  wake, 
he  profited  by  the  set  of  the  current,  and  pulled  directly  to 
windward,  with  a  view  to  cut  us  off.  All  this  we  very 
plainly  saw,  but  we  cared  very  little  for  Monsieur  Le  Gros 
and  his  boat.  The  ship  could  out-sail  the  last  very  easily, 
in  such  a  breeze,  and  it  was  always  in  our  power  to  tack  in 
mid-channel,  instead  of  crossing  her,  or  coming  near  her 
at  all.     The  frigate  gave  me  much  more  trouble. 

The  Englishman,  as  I  afterward  learned,  was  a  French- 
built  ship,  called  the  Fortunee,  or  as  Jack  termed  her,  now  she 
had  got  to  be  designated  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  dialect,  the 
Fortu«<f<f,  which  was  liberally  rendered  into  the  vernacular 
as  the  "  Happy-Go-Lucky."  She  was  an  old  ship,  but  an 
exceedingly  fast  one,  and  her  commander  had  rendered 
himself  famous  by  the  manner  in  which  he  ventured  about 
on  the  French  coast.  This  was  the  third  time  he  had  gone 
through  this  very  sound  in  spite  of  the  batteries,  and  having 
some  experience  in  the  windings  and  turnings,  he  was  now 
much  better  able  to  get  along  scatheless  than  on  the  two 
former  occasions.  As  soon  as  he  thought  himself  at  a  safe 
distance  from  the  six-and-thirties,  he  hauled  up,  and  made 
five  short  stretches  near  the  main,  where  he  had  much  the 
best  of  the  tide  and  the  whole  strength  of  the  breeze,  and 
where  there  was  nothing  to  molest  him,  the  usual  roadstead 
being  under  the  island  of  course. 

The  first  hour  sufficed  to  let  me  understand  there  was  no 
chance  of  escaping  the  frigate;  if  we  continued  to  beat  up 


262  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

through  the  passage,  we  might  reach  its  western  end  a  little 
in  advance  of  her,  it  is  true,  but  no  hope  at  all  of  getting 
away  would  remain  when  we  again  reached  the  open  ocean, 
and  she  inshore  of  us.  In  this  dilemma,  Marble  made  one 
of  his  happy  suggestions,  my  merit  amounting  to  no  more 
than  seizing  the  right  moment,  and  carrying  out  his  idea 
with  promptitude.  The  passage  first  named  lay  in  a  line 
with  us,  and  we  had  every  reason  to  believe  the  ship  could 
go  through  it.  When  we  were  invited  to  enter,  the  tide 
was  not  as  high  by  six  feet,  as  it  had  now  risen  to  be,  and 
my  mate  suggested  the  expedient  of  trying  it,  in  going  out. 

"The  Englishman  will  never  dare  follow,  on  account  of 
the  battery  which  lies  on  the  side  of  it,"  he  added,  "whereas 
the  French  will  not  fire  at  us,  believing  us  to  be  escaping 
from  a  common  enemy." 

The  whole  force  of  what  had  been  said  flashed  upon  me 
in  an  instant.  I  set  the  tricolor  over  a  British  ensign,  to 
cause  the  people  of  this  second  battery  to  think  us  an  Eng- 
lish prize,  and  stood  straight  for  the  pass,  just  without 
which  lay  a  small  brig  at  anchor.  In  order  to  make  the 
deception  more  complete,  we  hauled  up  our  courses,  and  let 
run  the  topgallant  halyards,  as  if  ready  to  bring  up.  Seeing 
this.  Monsieur  Le  Gros  fancied  we  were  about  to  anchor 
under  the  battery,  and  that  we  had  hoisted  our  flags  to  taunt 
the  English,  for  caps  and  hats  were  waved  in  exultation  in 
the  boat,  then  distant  from  us  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  We 
passed  close  to  the  brig,  which  greeted  us  with  acclamations 
and  "  vives  la  France ^^^  as  we  swept  by  her.  My  eye  was  on 
the  battery  the  whole  time.  It  was  built  to  command  the 
roadstead,  and  without  any  reference  to  the  pass,  which  no 
enemy  would  be  apt  to  attempt.  It  is  true,  two  heavy  guns 
bore  on  this  entrance,  but  they  were  in  a  detached  work 
that  was  never  manned  except  in  emergencies. 

I  drew  a  long  breath,  and  felt  a  mountain  removed  from 
my  very  soul,  as  the  ship  passed  out  of  the  range  of  the  last 
gun  in  the  little  semicircle.     The  soldiers  were  making  ges- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  263 

tures  to  us  to  indicate  we  were  getting  too  far  west  for  a 
good  berth,  but  we  heeded  them  not.  Instead  of  shortening 
sail,  the  fore  and  main-tacks  were  boarded,  and  the  top-gal- 
lant-sails  set.  This  revealed  our  intention,  and  the  clamor 
on  the  shore  even  reached  the  ship.  Preparations  were 
making  to  get  a  piece  of  light  artillery  to  bear  on  us,  and 
some  twenty  gunners  began  to  scamper  toward  the  detached 
battery.  The  whole  thing  was  now  reduced  to  a  sheer  race. 
We  passed  the  last  battery  ten  minutes  before  the  French 
could  reach  it,  the  latter  having  to  go  round  a  considerable 
bay;  and  six  minutes  later  we  went  out  to  sea,  with  the 
American  ensign,  and  jacks,  and  pennants  flying  at  each 
mast-head,  and  wherever  else  such  an  emblem  of  triumph 
could  be  shown ! 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


O,  I  am  out  of  breath  in  this  fond  chase ! 
The  more  my  prayer,  the  lesser  is  my  grace. 

Shakspeart. 

Marble  and  I  looked  each  other  in  the  face,  and  then 
burst  into  a  laugh,  as  the  French  fired  a  single  shot  from 
the  two-gun  battery,  which  flew  beyond  us,  but  which  could 
scarcely  hit  us  on  account  of  some  intervening  rocks.  I 
altered  the  course  of  the  ship  in  order  to  get  a  little  more 
out  of  the  range ;  after  this,  we  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the 
French.  The  boat  did  not  attempt  to  follow  us,  and  thus 
ended  our  communication  with  Le  Polisson  and  her  people 
at  that  time.  As  for  La  Fortunde,  it  would  require  at  least 
four  hours  for  her  to  beat  round  the  end  of  the  cluster  of 
islands,  and  seeing  the  hopelessness  of  doing  this  in  time 
to  overtake  such  a  ship  as  the  Dawn,  her  commander  made 
a  dash  in  at  the  unfortunate  brig,  which  he  actually  suc- 
ceeded in  cutting  from  the  roadstead,  in  spite  of  all  the  de- 
fences of  the  place.  The  last  I  heard  of  these  gentlemen, 
was  the  reports  of  the  guns  that  were  exchanged  between 


264  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

the  battery  and  the  frigate,  while  the  last  I  saw  of  them, 
was  the  smoke  that  floated  over  the  spot,  long  after  the 
islands  had  sunk  beneath  the  horizon.  The  Dawn  stood 
directly  out  to  sea,  with  the  wind  still  at  the  northward, 
though  it  had  drawn  more  through  the  pass  in-shore. 

"  Well,  Miles,"  cried  Marble,  as  he  and  I  sat  eating  our 
dinner  on  deck,  where  Neb  had  been  ordered  to  serve  it, 
"  you  know  what  I've  always  said  of  your  luck.  It's  proof 
agin  everything  but  Providence!  Die  you  must  and  will, 
some  of  these  times;  but  not  until  you've  done  something 
remarkable.  Sail  with  you,  my  boy !  I  consider  your  com- 
pany a  standing  policy  of  insurance,  and  have  no  sort  of 
consarn  about  fortin,  while  I'm  under  your  orders.  With 
any  other  man,  I  should  be  nothing  but  a  bloody  hermit, 
instead  of  the  dutiful  son  and  affectionate  uncle  I  am.  But 
what  do  you  mean  to  perform  next?  " 

"I  have  been  thinking,  Moses,  our  best  step  will  be  to 
shape  our  course  for  Hamburg,  whither  we  are  bound.  This 
northerly  wind  can't  last  long  at  this  season,  and  another 
southwester  would  just  serve  our  turn.  In  ten  days,  or  a 
fortnight,  we  might  make  our  haven." 

"  And  then  those  French  chaps  that  are  attacking  yonder 
kid  of  pork,  as  if  it  were  a  wild  beast;  the  fellows  never 
saw  good  solid  food  before!  " 

.  "  Feed  them  well — treat  them  well — and  make  them  work. 
They  would  never  think  of  troubling  us;  nor  do  I  suppose 
they  know  anything  of  navigation.  I  see  they  smoke  and 
chew;  we  will  give  'em  as  much  tobacco  as  their  hearts  can 
wish,  or  their  mouths  hold;  and  this  will  keep  them  in 
good-humor." 

"And  John  Bull.?" 

"  Why,  John  is  another  sort  of  a  person  to  deal  with,  cer- 
tainly. I  am  not  sure  that  a  third  English  cruiser  would 
molest  us.  We  can  keep  our  own  secret  concerning  Sennit 
and  his  party;  and  we  may  not  meet  with  another,  after  all. 
My  plan  is  to  run  close  in  with  the  English  coast,  and  show 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  26$ 

our  colors  boldly ;  now,  nine  in  ten  of  the  British  men-of- 
war  will  let  us  pass  unquestioned,  believing  we  are  bound 
to  London,  unless  they  happen  to  have  one  of  those  press- 
ing gentry,  like  Sennit,  on  board.  I  have  often  been  told 
that  ships  which  pass  close  in  with  the  English  coast  gen- 
erally pass  unquestioned;  by  the  large  craft,  uniformly; 
though  they  may  have  something  to  apprehend  from  the 
brigs  and  cutters.  Your  small  fry  always  give  the  most 
trouble,  Moses." 

"We  have  not  found  it  so  this  v'y'ge,  Miles.  However, 
you're  not  only  captain,  but  you're  owner ;  and  I  leave  you 
to  paddle  your  own  canoe.  We  must  go  somewhere ;  and 
I  will  not  say  your  plan  is  not  as  good  as  any  I  can  start, 
with  thirty  years  more  of  experience.'' 

We  talked  the  matter  over,  canvassing  it  in  all  its  bear- 
ings, until  it  was  settled  to  adopt  it. 

The  ship  was  steered  large,  until  the  French  coast  was 
entirely  sunk;  and  then  we  trimmed  her  by  the  wind,  head- 
ing her  as  near  to  our  course  as  the  breeze  would  permit. 
Nothing  occurred  in  the  course  of  the  remainder  of  the  day 
to  produce  either  trouble  or  uneasiness,  though  my  three 
Frenchmen  came  to  certain  explanations  with  me,  that  at 
first  menaced  a  little  difficulty.  They  refused  to  work ;  and 
I  was  compelled  to  tell  them  I  should  put  them  on  board 
the  first  English  vessel-of-war  we  met.  This  had  the  de- 
sired effect;  and,  after  an  amicable  discussion,  I  agreed  to 
pay  them  high  wages  on  our  arrival  in  a  friendly  port:  and 
they  agreed  to  serve  me  as  well  as  they  knew  how.  Seven 
men  were  rather  less  than  half  a  crew  for  a  vessel  of  the 
Dawn's  size,  but  it  was  possible  to  get  along  with  that 
number.  The  steering  was  the  hardest  part  of  the  duty— 
neither  of  the  Frenchmen  being  able  to  take  his  trick  at  the 
helm.  We  got  along  with  the  necessary  work,  however; 
and  so  glad  were  we  aU  to  be  rid  of  both  English  and 
French,  that  I  hazard  little  in  saying  that,  we  would  have 
endured  twice  as  much,  cheerfully,  could  we  be  certain  of 


266  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

meeting  no  more  of  their  cruisers.  Providence  had  ordered 
matters  very  differently. 

That  night  the  wind  shifted  again  to  the  southward  and 
westward.  We  braced  in  the  yards,  and  brought  the  ship 
to  her  course;  but  I  thought  it  best  not  to  carry  sail  hard  in 
the  dark.  Accordingly,  I  left  orders  to  be  called  at  sunrise, 
Marble  having  the  watch  at  that  hour.  When  I  came  on 
deck,  in  consequence  of  this  summons,  I  found  my  mate  ex- 
amining the  horizon  with  some  earnestness,  as  if  he  were 
looking  for  strangers. 

"  We  are  a  merry  party  this  morning.  Captain  Walling- 
ford,"  Marble  cried  out,  as  soon  as  he  saw  me.  "  I  have 
found  no  less  than  six  sail  in  sight,  since  the  day  dawned." 

"  I  hope  that  neither  is  a  lugger.  I  feel  more  afraid  of 
this  Polisson,  just  now,  than  of  all  the  names  in  Christen- 
dom. That  fellow  must  be  cruising  in  the  chops  of  the 
Channel,  and  we  are  working  our  way  well  in  toward  that 
part  of  the  world." 

"I  hope  so  too,  sir;  but  this  chap  out  here  at  northwest 
has  a  suspicious,  lugger-like  look.  It  may  be  that  I  see  only 
the  heads  of  his  topsails,  but  they  are  amazingly  like  luggs!" 

I  now  took  a  survey  of  the  ocean  for  myself.  The  vessel 
Marble  distrusted,  I  unhesitatingly  pronounced  to  be  a  lug- 
ger :  quite  as  likely  the  Polisson  as  any  other  craft.  The 
other  four  vessels  were  all  ships,  the  five  forming  a  complete 
circle,  of  which  the  Dawn  was  in  the  centre.  The  lugger, 
however,  was  some  miles  the  nearest  to  us,  while  as  to  the 
strangers,  if  they  saw  each  other  across  the  diameter  of  the 
circle  at  all,  it  was  as  much  as  was  possible.  Under  the 
circumstances,  it  struck  me  our  wisest  way  was  to  keep 
steadily  on  our  course,  like  honest  people.  Marble  was  of 
the  same  opinion,  and  to  say  the  truth,  there  was  little 
choice  in  the  matter,  the  ship  being  so  completely  sur- 
rounded. The  worst  feature  of  the  case  was  our  position, 
which  would  be  certain  to  draw  all  the  cruisers  to  the 
centre,  and  consequently  to  ourselves. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  26/ 

Two  hours  produced  a  material  change.  All  five  of  the 
strangers  had  closed  in  upon  us,  and  we  were  now  able  to 
form  tolerably  accurate  notions  of  their  characters.  The 
two  astern,  one  on  our  larboard,  and  one  on  our  starboard 
quarter,  were  clearly  heavy  vessels  and  consorts,  though  of 
what  nation  it  was  not  yet  so  easy  to  decide.  That  they 
were  consorts  was  apparent  by  their  signalling  one  another, 
and  by  the  manner  in  which  they  were  closing;  as  they  car- 
ried studding-sails,  alow  and  aloft,  they  were  coming  up 
with  us  fast,  and  in  all  probability  would  be  alongside  in 
two  or  three  hours  more. 

Two  of  the  ships  ahead  struck  me  as  frigates,  having 
their  broadsides  exposed  to  us;  we  had  raised  one  line  of 
ports,  but  it  was  possible  they  might  turn  out  to  be  two- 
deckers;  ships-of-war  they  were,  beyond  all  question,  and  I 
fancied  them  English  from  the  squareness  of  their  upper 
sails.  They,  too,  were  consorts,  making  signals  to  each 
other,  and  closing  fast  on  opposite  tacks.  The  lugger  was 
no  longer  equivocal;  it  was  the  Polisson,  and  she  was 
standing  directly  for  us,  though  it  was  ticklish  business, 
since  the  remaining  ship,  a  corvette,  as  I  fancied,  was 
already  in  her  wake,  carrying  sail  hard,  going  like  a  witch, 
and  only  about  two  leagues  astern. 

Monsieur  Gallois  had  so  much  confidence  in  his  heels, 
that  he  stood  on,  regardless  of  his  pursuer.  I  thought  it 
best  to  put  a  bold  face  on  the  matter,  knowing  that  sufficient 
time  might  be  wasted  to  enable  the  sloop-of-war  to  get  near 
enough  to  prevent  the  privateer  from  again  manning  us. 
My  principal  apprehension  was,  that  he  might  carry  us  all 
off,  in  revenge  for  what  had  happened,  and  set  fire  to  the 
ship.  Against  either  of  these  steps,  however,  I  should  offer 
all  the  resistance  in  my  power. 

It  was  just  ten  o'clock  when  the  Polisson  ranged  up 
abeam  of  us  the  second <ime,  and  we  hove-to.  It  was  evi- 
dent the  French  recognized  us,  and  the  clamor  that  suc- 
ceeded must  have  resembled  that  of  Babel,  when  the  people 


268  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

began  first  to  converse  without  making  themselves  under- 
stood. Knowing  we  had  no  small  boat,  Monsieur  Gallois 
lost  no  time,  but  lowering  a  yawl  of  his  own,  he  came  along- 
side of  us  in  person.  As  I  had  commanded  the  three 
Frenchmen  to  remain  below,  he  found  no  one  on  deck  but 
Marble,  Diogenes,  Neb,  and  myself. 

^^  Parbleu^  Monsieur  Vallingfort !  "  exclaimed  the  priva- 
teersman,  saluting  me  very  civilly,  notwithstanding  ap- 
pearances— ^^  dest  bien  extraordinaire!^^  Vat  you  do  vid  me 
men  ? — eh !     Put  em  in  ze  zea,  comme  avec  les  Anglais?  " 

I  was  spared  the  necessity  of  any  explanation,  by  the 
sudden  appearance  of  my  own  three  prisoners,  who  disre- 
garded my  orders,  and  came  rushing  up  to  their  proper  com- 
mander, open-mouthed  and  filled  with  zeal  to  relate  all  that 
had  passed.  The  whole  three  broke  out  at  once,  and  a 
scene  that  was  sufficiently  ludicrous  followed.  It  was  a 
continued  volley  of  words,  exclamations,  oaths,  and  compli- 
ments to  the  American  character,  so  blended,  as  to  render  it 
out  of  the  question  that  Monsieur  Gallois  could  understand 
them.  The  latter  found  himself  obliged  to  appeal  to  me. 
I  gave  a  very  frank  account  of  the  whole  affair,  in  English ; 
a  language  that  my  captor  understood  much  better  than  he 
spoke. 

Monsieur  Gallois  had  the  rapacity  of  a  highwayman,  but 
it  was  singularly  blended  with  French  politeness.  He  had 
not  always  been  a  privateersman — a  calling  that  implies  an 
undue  love  of  gold;  and  he  was  quite  capable  of  distin- 
guishing between  right  and  wrong  in  matters  in  which  his 
own  pocket  had  no  direct  concern.  As  soon  as  he  compre- 
hended the  affair,  he  began  to  laugh,  and  to  cry  ^^  Bonf"  I 
saw  he  was  in  a  good  humor,  and  not  likely  to  resent  what 
had  happened;  and  I  finished  my  history  in  somewhat  sar- 
castic language,  portraying  Monsieur  Le  Gros's  com- 
plaisance in  quitting  the  ship  and  in  piloting  her  about  the 
bay,  a  little  dryly,  perhaps.  There  were  sundry  "  sacr-r-r-ks  " 
and  "  bHes  "  uttered  the  while ;  but  all  came  out  freely  and 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  269 

without  anger,  as  if  Monsieur  Gallois  thought  a  good  joke 
the  next  thing  to  a  good  prize. 

"  Tenez^  mon  amif^^  he  cried,  squeezing  my  hand,  as  he 
looked  round  at  the  corvette,  now  less  than  a  league  distant. 
"  You  are  vat  you  Anglais  call  good  fellow.  J^ admire  voire 
esprit!  You  have  escape  admirablement^  and  I  shall  have 
vifs  regrets  not  to  'ave  opportunity  to  cultiver  votre  connaissance. 
MaiSy  I  most  laafs — mille  pardons — you  have  non  too  much 
peep's,  mais  c^est  impossible  d^abandonner  mes  compatriots, 
Allons^  mes  en/ants  ;  au  canotT 

This  was  the  signal  for  the  French  to  quit  us;  the  three 
men  I  had  shipped  taking  their  departure  without  ceremony. 
Monsieur  Gallois  was  the  last  in  the  boat,  of  course;  and 
he  found  time  to  squeeze  my  hand  once  more,  and  to  renew 
his  "  vifs  regrets  "  at  not  having  more  leisure  to  cultivate  my 
acquaintance.  The  corvette  was  already  so  near  as  to  ren- 
der it  necessary  for  the  Polisson  to  be  in  motion;  another 
time,  perhaps,  we  might  be  more  fortunate. 

In  this  manner  did  I  part  from  a  man  who  had  not 
scrupled  to  seize  me  in  distress,  as  he  would  a  waif  on  a 
beach.  By  manning  me,  the  prize  crew  would  have  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy ;  and  making  a  merit  of  neces- 
sity. Monsieur  Gallois  was  disposed  to  be  civil  to  those 
whom  he  could  not  rob.  Odd  as  it  may  seem,  I  felt  the  in- 
fluence of  his  manner  to  a  degree  that  almost  reconciled 
me  to  the  act  before  committed,  although  the  last  was  just 
as  profligate  and  illegal  as  any  that  could  well  be  committed. 
Of  so  much  more  importance,  with  the  majority  of  men,  is 
manner  than  matter;  a  very  limited  few  alone  knowing  how 
to  give  to  the  last  its  just  ascendency. 

The  Polisson  was  not  long  in  gathering  way,  after  her 
boat  was  hoisted  in.  She  passed,  on  the  crest  of  a  wave, 
so  near,  that  it  was  easy  to  distinguish  the  expressions  of 
her  people's  faces,  few  of  which  discovered  the  equanimity 
of  that  of  their  commander's;  and  to  hear  the  incessant  gab- 
bling that  was  kept  up  on  board  her  day  and  night,  from 


270  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"morn  till  dewy  eve."  M.  Gallois  bowed  complaisantly, 
and  he  smiled  as  amiably  as  if  he  never  had  put  a  hand  in 
another  man's  pocket ;  but  his  glass  was  immediately  turned 
toward  the  corvette,  which  now  began  to  give  him  some 
little  uneasiness.  Manning  us,  indeed,  with  that  fellow 
surging  ahead  at  the  rate  he  was,  would  have  been  quite  out 
of  the  question. 

Being  reduced  to  our  old  number  of  four,  I  saw  no  use  in 
working  ourselves  to  death,  by  filling  the  topsail,  with  the 
certainty  the  sloop-of-war  would  make  us  round-to  again. 
The  Dawn,  therefore,  remained  stationary,  waiting  the  issue 
with  philosophical  patience. 

"There  is  no  use,  Moses,  in  endeavoring  to  escape,"  I 
remarked;  "  we  are  not  strong-handed  enough  to  get  sail  on 
the  ship  before  the  fellow  will  be  up  with  us." 

"Ay,  and  there  goes  his  bunting,  and  a  gun,"  answered 
the  mate.  "The  white  English  ensign,  a  sign  the  chap  is 
under  some  admiral,  or  vice,  or  rear  of  the  white,  while,  if 
I  mistake  not,  the  two  frigates  show  blue  flags — if  so,  'tis  a 
sign  they're  not  consorts." 

The  glass  confirmed  this,  and  we  were  left  to  suppose 
that  all  three  Englishmen  did  not  belong  to  the  same 
squadron.  At  this  moment,  the  state  of  the  game  was  as 
follows:  the  Dawn  was  lying-to,  with  her  fore-course  up, 
mainsail  furled,  main-topsail  aback,  and  topgallant-yards 
on  the  caps,  jib  and  spanker  both  set.  The  Polisson  was 
flying  away  on  the  crests  of  the  seas,  close-hauled,  evidently 
disposed  to  make  a  lee  behind  the  two  frigates  to  windward, 
which  we  took  for,  and  which  it  is  probable  she  knew  to  be 
French.  The  ships  to  leeward  were  passing  each  other 
within  hail ;  the  one  to  the  eastward  tacking  immediately 
after,  and  coming  up  in  her  consort's  wake;  both  vessels 
carrying  everything  that  would  draw.  The  ships  to  the 
southward,  or  the  supposed  Frenchmen,  might  then  have 
been  two  leagues  from  us,  while  those  to  leeward  were  three. 
As  for  the  corvette,  her  course  seemed  to  lie  directly  be- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  2/1 

tween  our  masts.  On  she  came  with  everything  beautifully 
trimmed,  the  water  spouting  from  her  hawse-holes,  as  she 
rose  from  a  plunge,  and  foaming  under  her  bows,  as  if  made 
of  a  cloud.     Her  distance  from  us  was  less  than  a  mile. 

It  was  now  that  the  corvette  made  signals  to  the  ships  to 
windward.  They  were  answered,  but  in  a  way  to  show  the 
parties  did  not  understand  each  other.  She  then  tried  her 
hand  with  the  vessels  to  leeward,  and,  notwithstanding  the 
distance,  she  succeeded  better.  I  could  see  these  two 
frigates,  or  rather  the  one  that  led,  sending  questions  and 
answers  to  the  corvette,  although  my  best  glass  would  hardly 
enable  me  to  distinguish  their  ensigns.  I  presume  that  the 
corvette  asked  the  names  of  the  English  vessels,  communi- 
cated her  own,  and  let  the  fact  be  known  that  the  ships  to 
windward  were  enemies. 

A  few  minutes  later  our  affairs,  as  they  were  connected 
with  the  sloop-of-war,  came  to  a  crisis.  This  ship  now  came 
on  close  under  our  lee,  losing  a  little  of  her  way  in  passing, 
an  expedient  probably  thought  of  to  give  her  a  little  more 
time  to  put  her  questions,  and  to  receive  the  desired  answers. 
I  observed,  also,  that  she  let  go  all  her  bowlines,  which 
seemed  much  to  deaden  her  way,  of  which  there  still  re- 
mained sufficient,  notwithstanding,  to  carry  her  well  clear  of 
us.  The  following  dialogue  then  passed,  the  Englishman 
asking  the  questions,  of  course,  that  being  a  privilege  ex- 
pressly appropriated  to  the  public  vessel  on  occasions  of 
this  sort: 

"What  ship's  that?— and  whither  bound?  " 
"Dawn,  of  New  York,  Miles  Wallingford,  from  home  to 
Hamburg." 

"  Did  not  the  lugger  board  you  ?  " 
"  Ay,  ay — for  the  second  time  in  three  days." 
"What  is  she  called? — and  what  is  her  force?  " 
"Le  Polisson,  of  Brest — sixteen  light  guns,  and  about  a 
hundred  men." 

"  Do  you  know  anything  of  the  ships  to  windward? " 


272  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  Nothing  at  all ;  but  I  suppose  them  to  be  French.' 
"  Pray,  sir,  why  do  you  sup — um — um — ook — ook — 


The  distance  prevented  my  hearing  more.  Away  went 
the  sloop,  steadying  her  bowlines;  the  call  piping  belay,  as 
each  sail  was  trimmed  to  the  officer  of  the  deck's  fancy.  In 
a  few  more  minutes,  we  could  not  distinguish  even  the  shrill 
notes  of  that  instrument.  The  corvette  continued  on  in 
chase  of  the  lugger,  regardless  of  the  four  other  vessels, 
though  the  two  to  windward  now  showed  the  tricolor^  and 
fired  guns  of  defiance. 

Monsieur  Gallois  soon  after  tacked,  evidently  disposed 
to  stand  for  the  frigates  of  his  country ;  when  the  sloop-of- 
war  immediately  went  round,  also,  heading  up  toward  these 
very  vessels,  determined  to  cut  off  the  lugger,  even  if  it 
were  to  be  done  by  venturing  within  range  of  the  shot  of 
her  protectors.  It  was  a  bold  manoeuvre,  and  deserved  suc- 
cess, if  it  were  only  for  its  spirit  and  daring. 

I  thought,  however,  that  the  frigates  of  the  tricolor  paid 
very  little  attention  to  the  lugger.  By  altering  their  course 
a  trifle,  it  would  have  been  in  their  power  to  cover  her  com- 
pletely from  the  attempts  of  the  corvette;  but,  instead  of 
doing  this,  they  rather  deviated  a  little  the  other  way,  as  if 
desirous  of  approaching  the  two  ships  to  leeward  on  the 
side  that  would  prevent  their  being  cut  off  from  the  land. 
As  neither  party  seemed  disposed  to  take  any  notice  of  us, 
we  filled  our  topsail  and  stood  out  of  the  circle  under  easy 
canvas,  believing  it  bad  policy  to  have  an  appearance  of 
haste.  Haste,  however,  was  a  thing  out  of  our  power,  it  re- 
quiring time  for  four  men  to  make  sail. 

About  eleven,  or  half -past  eleven,  the  four  frigates  were 
distant  from  each  other  rather  more  than  a  league,  the  Dawn 
being  just  then  half  a  league  from  the  two  Frenchmen  and 
rather  more  distant  from  the  English.  Had  an  action  then 
commenced,  we  might  have  been  a  mile  out  of  the  line  of 
fire.  Curious  to  know  the  result,  I  stood  on  a  short  dis- 
tance further,  and  backed  my  topsail,  to  await  the  issue.     I 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  2/3 

was  influenced  to  take  this  course  from  an  expectation  that 
either  party,  after  a  conflict  with  an  equal,  would  be  less 
disposed  to  molest  a  neutral,  and  that  I  might  possibly  ob- 
tain assistance  from  the  conqueror — few  cruisers  being 
found  at  that  day  without  having  foreigners  on  board,  that 
they  would  be  willing  to  give  to  a  vessel  in  distress.  As 
for  the  account  I  meant  to  give  to  the  party  to  whom  I  in- 
tended to  apply,  it  would  depend  on  circumstances.  If  the 
French  remained  on  the  spot,  I  could  relate  the  affair  with 
the  prize  crew  of  the  Speedy;  if  the  English,  that  of  the 
Polisson.  In  neither  case  would  an  untruth  be  told,  though 
certain  collateral  facts  might  be,  and  probably  would  have 
been,  suppressed. 

The  Frenchmen  began  to  haul  down  their  light  sails,  just 
as  we  hove-to.  This  was  done  in  a  lubberly  and  irregular 
manner,  as  if  little  concert  or  order  prevailed  on  board 
them.  Marble  growled  out  his  remarks,  deeming  the  whole 
proceeding  a  bad  omen  for  the  tricolor.  It  is  certain  that 
the  Frencn  marine,  in  1803,  was  not  a  service  to  boast  of. 
The  English  used  to  say  that  they  seldom  got  a  French  ship 
without  working  for  her;  and  this  was  probably  true,  as  the 
nation  is  warlike,  and  little  disposed  to  submit  without  an 
effort.  Still,  France,  at  that  day,  could  hardly  be  said  to  be 
maritime;  and  the  revolutions  and  changes  she  had  under- 
gone were  not  likely  to  favor  the  creation  of  a  good  corps 
of  naval  officers.  Brave  men  were  far  more  plenty  than 
skilful  seamen;  and  then  came  the  gabbling  propensity, 
one  of  the  worst  of  all  human  failings,  to  assist  in  produc- 
ing a  disorderly  ship. 

It  was  a  pretty  sight  to  see  those  four  shipsN  strip  for  the 
fight;  although  the  French  canvas  did  not  come  do^/vn  ex- 
actly according  to  rule.  The  English,  however,  were  in  no 
hurry ;  the  two  tricolor  men  being  under  their  three  topsails, 
spankers,  and  jibs,  with  the  topgallant-sails  clewed  up, 
before  John  Bull  reducecf  even  a  royal.  The  latter,  it  will 
be  remembered,  were  to  leeward,  and  had  to  close  with  their 
18 


2/4  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

adversaries.  In  doing  this,  they  made  one  stretch  so  far  in 
our  direction,  in  the  hope  of  tacking  in  their  enemies' 
wakes,  that  I  saw  they  would  probably  speak  us.  I  con- 
fess this  was  more  than  I  had  bargained  for ;  but  it  was 
now  too  late  to  run,  which  would  probably  have  led  to  our 
seizure.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  await  the  result  with 
dignity. 

Just  as  the  English  ships  were  coming  within  musket-shot 
of  the  Dawn,  the  French — then  distant  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  to  the  eastward,  and  half  a  mile  south  of  us — wore  ship, 
and  came  round  with  their  heads  to  the  westward — or  in 
our  direction.  As  this  was  coming  nearer,  instead  of  mov- 
ing from  them,  the  Englishmen  began  to  start  their  tacks 
and  sheets,  in  order  to  be  ready.  Their  six  royals  were  all 
flying  at  the  same  instant,  as  were  their  flying-jibs;  at  the 
next,  the  canvas  was  rolled  up,  and  out  of  sight.  Then 
the  yards,  themselves,  came  down,  and  all  the  light  sails 
about  the  ships  vanished  as  a  bird  shuts  its  wings.  After 
this  the  courses  were  hauled  up  snug,  but  the  sails  were  not 
handed.  By  this  time,  the  leading  ship  of  these  two  frigates 
was  within  a  cable's  length  of  us,  just  luffing  up  sufficiently 
to  give  our  weather-quarter  the  necessary  berth. 

"  By  George,  Miles,"  Marble  said,  as  he  stood  at  my  side, 
watching  the  movements  of  the  stranger,  "  that  second  frigate 
is  the  Speedy!  I  know  her  by  the  billet,  and  the  distance 
of  her  bridle-port  from  her  head.  You  never  saw  such  a 
space  for  anchors  before !  Then  you  may  see  she  is  a  six- 
and- thirty,  with  white  hammock-cloths.  Who  ever  saw  that 
twice  at  sea  ?  " 

Marble  was  right!  There  came  the  Speedy,  sure  enough; 
and  doubtless  the  eyes  of  Lord  Harry  Dermond  and  his  offi- 
cers would  be  on  us,  in  a  very  few  more  minutes— the  dis- 
tance between  the  two  frigates  being  less  than  two  cables' 
lengths.  In  the  mean  time,  I  had  to  attend  to  the  headmost 
vessel. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  anything  of  the  two  ships  to  the  south- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  2^$ 

ward  of  us  ?  "  demanded  the  stranger,  through  his  trumpet, 
without  any  preamble. 

"  Nothing  but  what  you  see,  sir.  I  suppose  them  to  be 
French ;  and  see  that  they  are  coming  after  you." 

"  AJter  us !  "  exclaimed  the  English  captain,  in  a  voice 
loud  enough,  and  now  near  enough,  to  be  heard  without  the 
aid  of  the  trumpet.  ^^ After  us,  indeed!  Ready  about — 
helms  a-lee — main-topsail  haul,  there!     Hawl,  of  all " 

These  orders  came  out  at  brief  intervals,  and  in  a  voice 
of  thunder,  producing  prompt  obedience.  The  consequence 
was  that  this  ship  tacked  directly  on  our  weather-beam,  and 
so  near  us  that  one  might  have  thrown  a  biscuit  aboard  her. 
But  she  went  round  beautifully,  scarce  losing  her  way  at  all, 
and  away  she  started  again,  looking  her  enemies  directly  in 
the  face. 

"Now's  our  time  to  fill,  Miles,  and  draw  ahead.  The 
Speedy  will  think  we've  been  spoken,  and  all's  right.  She 
must  corne  here  to  tack  into  her  consort's  wake,  and  a  blind 
man  could  not  avoid  reading  our  name,  she  would  be  so 
close.     Man  the  lee-braces,  and  right  the  helm.  Neb." 

Fill  we  did,  and  what  is  more,  we  put  our  helm  up  so 
much  as  to  leave  quite  a  cable's  length  between  us  and  the 
Speedy,  when  that  ship  got  far  enough  ahead  to  tack,  or  at 
the  point  which  we  had  just  left.  I  believe  we  were  recog- 
nized! Indeed,  it  is  not  easy  to  imagine  otherwise,  as  the 
commonest  glass  would  enable  the  dullest  eyes  to  read  our 
name,  were  other  means  of  recognition  wanting.  But  a 
sailor  knows  a  ship  by  too  many  signs  to  be  easily  deceived. 

The  Speedy  was  in  stays  when  we  saw  the  proofs  of  our 
being  known.  Her  head-yards  were  not  swung,  but  there 
she  lay  like  one  who  lingers,  uncertain  whether  to  go  or  to 
remain.  An  officer  was  in  her  gangway  examining  us  with 
a  glass,  and  when  the  ship  fell  off  so  much  as  to  bring  us 
out  of  the  range  of  sigfat,  he  ran  off  and  reappeared  on  the 
taffrail.  This  was  the  junior  lieutenant;  I  could  plainly 
recognize  him  with  my  own  glass.     Others  soon   joined 


2/6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

him,  and  among  them  was  Lord  Harry  Dermond  himself. 
I  fancied  they  even  knew  me,  and  that  all  their  glasses  were 
levelled  directly  at  my  face.  What  a  moment  of  intense 
uncertainty  was  that!  The  ships  were  not  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  apart,  though  the  Dawn  was  increasing  that  distance 
fast,  and  by  paying  broad  off  the  Speedy  would  have  me 
under  her  broadside.  Where  was  her  prize  crew?  Not  in 
the  Dawn,  or  certainly  Sennit  would  have  communicated 
with  his  commander,  and  if  not  in  the  ship  they  must  be  in 
the  ocean!  Or,  were  they  prisoners  below,  and  kept  pur- 
posely out  of  sight?  All  these  thoughts  must  have  passed 
through  the  minds  of  the  English  officers. 

I  thought  we  were  lost  again,  but  Providence  once  more 
saved  us.  All  this  time  the  leading  English  frigate  and  the 
two  Frenchmen  were  fast  approaching  each  other.  In  a  few 
minutes  they  must  engage,  while  the  Speedy  was  left 
farther  and  farther  astern  of  her  consort.  At  this  critical 
instant,  one  of  the  Frenchmen  fired  a  gun  of  defiance. 
That  report  seemed  to  arouse  the  Speedy  as  from  a  trance. 
Her  head-yards  came  furiously  round,  all  the  officers  van- 
ished from  her  taffrail,  and  down  went  both  fore  and  main- 
tacks,  and  to  the  mast-head  rose  all  three  of  her  topgallant- 
sails.  Thus  additionally  impelled,  the  lively  craft  dashed 
ahead,  and  was  soon  in  her  allotted  berth,  or  half  a  cable's 
length  astern  of  the  Black  Prince,  as  I  afterward  heard  was  the 
name  of  the  commanding  English  ship,  on  this  occasion.  I 
may  as  well  add  here,  that  the  French  commodore's  ship 
was  named  La  D^sir^e,  and  her  consort  Le  Cerf.  Monsieur 
Menneval  was  senior  officer  of  the  French  and  Sir  Hotham 
Ward  of  the  English.  I  never  knew  the  name  of  the  other 
French  captain,  or  if  I  did  I  have  forgotten  it. 

My  object  had  been,  in  bearing  up,  to  get  as  far  as  pos- 
sible from  the  Speedy,  in  order  that  she  might  not  recognize 
us,  and  especially  that  she  might  not  read  the  name  on  our 
stern.  But  this  running  off  so  much  to  leeward  was  not 
precisely  the  berth  that  one  would  wish  to  occupy  when  a 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  277 

sea-fight  is  going  on  directly  to  windward,  and  within  half 
gunshot.  No  sooner  was  my  Lord  Harry  Dermond  in 
motion  again,  therefore,  than  we  hauled  the  Dawn  up  with 
her  head  to  the  westward,  with  a  view  to  get  as  soon  as 
possible  out  of  the  probable  range  of  the  fire.  It  was  true, 
the  combatants  might  vary  their  manoeuvres,  so  as  to  render 
all  parts  of  the  periphery  of  a  certain  circle  around  them 
anything  but  agreeable,  but  the  chances  were  greatly  in 
favor  of  the  battle's  beginning  with  one  party  to  windward 
of  the  other. 

Our  ship  behaved  well  on  this  occasion,  getting  out  of 
the  way  with  sufficient  rapidity.  While  this  was  in  the 
course  of  execution,  I  had  an  opportunity  to  look  after  the 
corvette  and  the  lugger.  The  last  was  still  leading,  having 
managed  by  means  of  short  tacks  to  work  up  considerably 
to  windward  of  the  two  French  frigates.  Here  she  had  made 
a  last  tack  to  the  eastward,  intending  to  run  for  the  coast. 
The  sloop-of-war  was  still  in  her  wake,  and  was  following 
on  her  heels  at  a  rapid  rate. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"  You  and  I  have 

known,  sir." 

"  At  sea,  I  think." 

"We  have,  sir." 

"  You  have  done  well  by  water." 

"  And  you  by  land." 

Antony  and  Cleopatra. 

The  reader  will  understand  that  I  offer  to  his  view  a 
shifting  panorama.  As  soon  as  the  Dawn  had  got  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  English  frigates,  a  distance  that 
was  a  little  increased  by  the  advance  of  the  last  toward 
their  enemies,  we  again  backed  our  topsails,  for  I  had  an 
ungovernable  desire  to  lae  a  spectator  of  what  was  to  follow. 
The  feeling  was  common  to  all  four  of  us,  it  being  next  to 
impossible  to  get  either  Neb  or  Diogenes  to  pull  a  rope,  for 


278  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

gazing  at  the  frigates.  As  for  steering,  it  would  have  been 
out  of  the  question,  I  really  believe,  as  no  one  among  us 
could  keep  his  eyes  long  enough  from  the  combatants  to 
look  after  our  own  ship. 

Some  persons  may  think  it  was  foolish  not  to  make  the 
most  of  our  time  in  endeavoring  to  get  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  Speedy.  Perhaps  it  was;  but,  two  miles  distant, 
there  was  really  less  to  apprehend  than  might  at  first  appear. 
It  was  not  probable  the  English  would  abandon  the  French 
vessels  as  long  as  they  could  stick  by  them,  or,  until  they 
were  captured;  and  I  was  not  so  completely  ignorant  of  my 
trade  as  to  imagine  that  vessels  like  those  of  la  Grande 
Nation^  which  were  in  sight,  were  to  be  taken  without  doing 
their  adversaries  a  good  deal  of  harm.  Then,  the  prizes 
themselves  would  require  looking  after,  and  there  were  many 
other  chances  of  our  now  going  scot-free,  while  there  was 
really  very  small  ground  of  danger.  But,  putting  aside  all 
these  considerations,  curiosity  and  interest  were  so  active 
in  us  all,  as  to  render  it  almost  morally  impossible  we 
should  quit  the  place  until  the  battle  was  decided.  I  am 
not  absolutely  certain  the  Dawn  would  have  moved,  had 
we  been  disposed  to  make  her.  With  these  brief  explana- 
tions, then,  we  will  turn  our  attention  exclusively  to  the 
frigates. 

By  the  time  we  had  got  the  Dawn  just  where  we  wished 
her  to  be,  the  combatants  were  drawing  quite  near  to  each 
other.  The  Speedy  had  carried  sail  so  long  as  to  be  a 
little  to  windward  of  her  consort's  wake,  though  half  a 
cable's  length  astern  of  her.  The  French  were  in  still 
closer  order,  and  they  would  soon  be  far  enough  advanced 
to  bring  the  leading  ship  on  each  side,  under  fire.  I  sup- 
pose the  opposing  vessels  would  pass  about  a  cable's  length 
apart.  All  four  were  under  their  topsails,  jibs,  and  spankers, 
with  the  courses  in  the  brails.  The  Black  Prince  and  the 
Speedy  had  their  topgallant-saijs  clewed  up,  while  la 
D^sir^e  and  le  Cerf  had  theirs  still  sheeted  home,  with  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  2/9 

yards  on  the  caps.  All  four  vessels  had  sent  down  royal 
yards.  This  was  fighting  sail,  and  everything  indicated 
that  Monsieur  Menneval  intended  to  make  a  day  of  it. 

The  first  gun  was  fired,  on  this  occasion,  from  the 
D^siree,  the  leading  French  ship.  It  was  directed  at  the 
Black  Prince,  and  the  shot  probably  told,  as  Sir  Hotham 
Ward  immediately  kept  away,  evidently  with  a  desire  to 
escape  being  raked.  The  French  did  the  same  to  keep 
square  with  their  adversaries,  and  the  four  vessels  now  ran 
on  parallel  lines,  though  going  different  ways,  and  a  short 
cable's  length  asunder.  La  D^siree  followed  up  her  single 
gun  with  each  division  as  it  would  bear,  until  her  whole 
broadside  was  delivered.  The  Black  Prince  stood  it  all 
without  answering,  though  I  could  see  that  she  was  suffering 
considerably,  more  especially  aloft.  At  length  Sir  Hotham 
Ward  was  heard  in  the  affair.  He  let  fly  his  whole  broad- 
side, almost  simultaneously;  and  a  spiteful,  threatening 
roar  it  was.  The  smoke  now  began  to  hide  his  ship,  though 
la  D^sir^e,  by  moving  toward  us,  kept  ahead  of  her  own 
sulphurous  canopy. 

The  Speedy  soon  opened  on  the  French  commodore; 
then,  by  the  roar  astern,  I  knew  le  Cerf  was  at  work  in  the 
smoke.  All  four  ships  shivered  their  topsails,  to  pass  more 
slowly;  and  there  was  a  minute  during  which,  as  it  ap- 
peared to  me,  all  four  actually  stopped  under  the  fiery  cloud 
they  had  raised,  in  order  to  do  each  other  all  the  harm  they 
could.  The  Frenchmen,  however,  soon  issued  from  behind 
the  curtain,  and  the  cessation  in  the  firing  announced  that 
the  ships  had  parted.  I  could  not  see  much  of  the  English, 
at  first,  on  account  of  the  smoke;  but  their  antagonists 
came  out  of  the  fray,  short  as  it  had  been,  with  torn  sails, 
crippled  yards,  and  le  Cerf  had  her  mizzen-topmast  actually 
hanging  over  to  leeward.  Just  as  I  got  a  view  of  this 
calamity,  I  caught  a  giimpse  of  the  Black  Prince,  close 
hauled,  luffing  up  athwart  the  wake  of  her  enemies,  and 
manifestly  menacing  to  get  the  wind.     The  Speedy  followed 


280  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

with  the  accuracy  of  clockwork,  having  rather  closed  with 
her  leader,  instead  of  falling  farther  behind.  Presently,  the 
Black  Prince  tacked;  but,  in  so  doing,  down  came  her 
main-topgallant-mast,  bringing  with  it  the  yard  and  the  sail, 
as  a  matter  of  course.  This  was  a  sign  that  Mr.  Menneval 
had  not  been  firing  a  salute. 

The  French  stood  on,  after  this  first  rude  essay  with  their 
enemies,  for  several  minutes,  during  which  time  we  could 
see  their  people  actively,  but  irregularly,  employed,  in  clear- 
ing away  the  wrecks,  stoppering  rigging,  and  otherwise  re- 
pairing damages.  Le  Cerf,  in  particular,  was  much  troubled 
with  the  topmast  that  was  dangling  over  her  lee-quarter; 
and  her  people  made  desperate  and  tolerably  well-directed 
efforts  to  get  rid  of  it.  This  they  effected;  and  about  ten 
minutes  after  the  firing  had  ceased,  the  French  ships  put 
their  helms  up,  and  went  off  to  the  northward,  dead  before 
the  wind,  as  if  inviting  their  enemies  to  come  on  and  fight 
it  out  fairly  in  that  manner,  if  they  felt  disposed  to  pursue 
the  affair  any  farther. 

It  was  time  something  of  this  sort  was  done,  for  the  delay 
had  brought  all  four  vessels  so  far  to  the  westward,  as  to 
leave  them  within  a  mile  of  the  Dawn;  and  I  saw  the  neces- 
sity of  again  getting  out  of  the  way.  We  filled  and  stood 
off,  as  fast  as  possible.  It  was  time  something  of  the  sort 
was  done,  in  another  sense,  also.  When  Monsieur  Menneval 
bore  up,  his  antagonists  were  closing  fast  on  his  weather- 
quarter,  and  unless  he  meant  to  fight  to  leeward,  it  was  in- 
cumbent on  him  to  get  out  of  the  way,  in  his  turn. 

Sir  Hotham  Ward,  however,  was  too  skilful  a  seaman  to 
neglect  the  advantage  Monsieur  Menneval  had  given  him. 
The  instant  the  French  kept  away,  he  did  the  same;  but, 
instead  of  falling  broad  off  before  the  wind,  he  luffed  again 
in  time,  not  having  touched  a  brace,  and  crossed  the  wakes 
of  his  enemies,  giving  a  most  effective  broadside  into  the 
cabin  windows  of  le  Cerf.  To  my  surprise,  la  Desir^e  held 
on  her  course,  until  the  Speedy  had  repeated  the  dose.     The 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  28 1 

English  then  wore  short  round,  and  were  seemingly  on  the 
point  of  going  over  the  same  thing,  when  Monsieur  Menne- 
val,  finding  this  a  losing  game,  hauled  up,  firing  as  his  guns 
bore,  and  le  Cerf  did  the  same,  with  her  head  the  other  way, 
destroying  everything  like  concert  in  their  movements.  The 
English  closed,  and,  in  a  minute,  all  four  of  the  ships  were 
enveloped  in  a  common  cloud  of  white  smoke.  All  we  could 
now  see,  were  the  masts,  from  the  trucks  down,  sometimes 
as  low  as  the  tops,  but  oftener  not  lower  than  the  topsail- 
yards.  The  reports  of  the  guns  were  quite  rapid  for  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour,  after  which  they  became  much  less  frequent, 
though  a  hundred  pieces  of  ordnance  were  still  at  work  be- 
hind that  cloudy  screen. 

Several  shot  flew  in  our  direction;  and  two  actually 
passed  between  our  masts.  Notwithstanding,  so  keen  was 
the  interest  we  continued  to  feel,  that  the  topsail  was  again 
backed,  and  there  we  lay,  lookers-on,  as  indifferent  to  the 
risks  we  ran,  as  if  we  had  been  ashore.  Minute  passed 
after  minute,  until  a  considerable  period  had  been  con- 
sumed ;  yet  neither  of  the  combatants  became  fairly  visibly 
to  us.  Occasionally  a  part  of  a  hull  pushed  itself  out  of 
the  smoke,  or  the  wind  blew  the  latter  aside;  but  at  no 
time  was  the  curtain  sufficiently  drawn,  to  enable  us  to  tell 
to  which  nation  the  vessel  thus  seen  belonged.  The  masts 
had  disappeared — not  one  remaining  above  the  smoke,  which 
had  greatly  enlarged  its  circle,  however. 

In  this  manner  passed  an  hour.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
intensely  interesting  of  my  whole  life;  and  to  me  it  seemed 
a  day,  so  eager  was  I  to  ascertain  some  result.  I  had  been 
several  times  in  action,  as  the  reader  knows;  but,  then,  the 
minutes  flew :  whereas,  now,  this  combat  appeared  drawn  out 
to  an  interminable  length.  I  have  said,  an  hour  thus  passed 
before  we  could  even  guess  at  the  probable  result.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  the  firing  entirely  ceased.  It  had  been 
growing  slacker  and  sfacker  for  the  last  half  hour,  but  it 
now  stopped  altogether.     The  smoke  which  appeared  to  be 


282  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

packed  on  the  ocean,  began  to  rise  and  disperse;  and,  little 
by  little,  the  veil  rose  from  before  that  scene  of  strife. 

The  vessel  first  seen  by  us  was  our  old  acquaintance,  the 
Speedy.  All  three  of  her  topmasts  were  gone;  the  fore,  just 
below  the  cross-trees;  and  the  two  others  near  the  lower 
caps.  Her  main-yard  had  lost  one  yard-arm,  and  her  lower 
rigging  and  sides  were  covered  with  wreck.  She  had  her 
foresail,  mizzen,  and  fore-staysail,  and  spanker  set,  which 
was  nearly  all  the  canvas  she  could  show. 

Our  eyes  had  barely  time  to  examine  the  Speedy,  ere  the 
dark  hull  of  le  Cerf  made  its  appearance.  This  ship  had 
been  very  roughly  treated,  nothing  standing  on  board  her, 
twenty  feet  from  the  deck,  but  her  foremast;  and  the  head 
of  that  was  gone,  nearly  down  to  the  top.  The  sea  all 
round  her  was  covered  with  wreck ;  and  no  less  than  three 
of  her  boats  were  out,  picking  up  men  who  were  adrift  on 
the  spars.  She  lay  about  a  cable's  length  from  the  Speedy, 
and  appeared  to  be  desirous  of  being  still  farther  off,  as  she 
had  no  sooner  got  her  boats  up,  than  she  dropped  her  fore- 
sail, and  stood  off  dead  before  it. 

It  was  in  watching  the  movements  of  le  Cerf,  that  we  first 
got  a  glimpse  of  la  Ddsiree.  This  ship  reappeared  almost 
in  a  line  with  her  consort;  and,  like  her,  steering  off  before 
the  wind.  Their  common  object  seemed  to  be,  to  get  within 
close  supporting  distance  of  each  other,  and  to  increase  the 
space  between  them  and  their  enemies.  Both  these  vessels 
had  the  tricolored  flag  flying  at  the  stumps  of  their  masts. 
As  respects  the  last,  however,  la  Ddsiree  was  a  little  better 
off  than  her  consort — having  her  foremost  and  mainmast 
standing  entire,  though  her  mizzenmast  was  gone,  close  to 
the  deck.  What  was  a  very  bad  affair  for  her,  her  fore-yard 
had  been  shot  away  in  the  slings,  the  two  inner  ends  lying 
on  the  forecastle,  while  the  yard-arms  were  loosely  sustained 
by  the  lifts.  This  ship  kept  off  under  her  mainsail  and 
fore-staysail. 

The  Black  Prince  was  the  last  to  get  clear  of  the  smoke. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  283 

She  had  everything  in  its  place,  from  her  topmast  cross- 
trees  down.  The  three  topgallant-masts  were  gone,  and  the 
wrecks  were  already  cleared;  but  all  the  topsail-yards  were 
on  the  caps,  and  her  rigging,  spars,  and  tops  were  alive  with 
men ;  as  indeed  were  those  of  the  Speedy.  This  was  the 
secret  of  the  cessation  in  the  action;  the  two  English 
frigates  having  turned  their  hands  up  to  secure  their  spars, 
while  the  Frenchmen,  by  running  off  dead  before  the  wind, 
were  in  positions  not  to  bring  a  broadside  gun  to  bear;  and 
the  cabin-chasers  of  a  frigate  were  seldom  of  much  use  in 
that  day,  on  account  of  the  rake  of  the  stern.  It  always  ap- 
peared to  me  that  the  Spaniards  built  the  best  ships  in  this 
respect,  the  English  and  Americans  in  particular  seeming 
never  to  calculate  the  chances  of  running  away.  I  do  not 
say  this,  in  reference  to  the  Spanish  ships,  however,  under 
any  idea  that  the  Spanish  nation  wants  courage — for  a  falser 
notion  cannot  exist — but  merely  to  state  their  superiority  in 
one  point  of  naval  architecture,  at  the  very  moment  when, 
having  built  a  fine  ship,  they  did  not  know  how  to  make  use 
of  her. 

The  first  ten  minutes  after  the  four  combatants  were  clear 
of  the  smoke,  were  actively  employed  in  repairing  damages; 
on  the  part  of  the  French  confusedly,  and  I  make  no  doubt 
clamorously ;  on  that  of  the  English  with  great  readiness 
and  a  perfect  understanding  of  their  business.  Notwith- 
standing this  was  the  general  character  of  the  exertions  of 
the  respective  parties,  there  were  exceptions  to  the  rule.  On 
board  le  Cerf,  for  instance,  I  observed  a  gang  of  men  at 
work  clearing  the  ship  from  the  wreck  of  the  mainmast,  who 
proceeded  with  a  degree  of  coolness,  vigor,  and  method, 
which  showed  what  materials  were  thrown  away  in  that 
service  for  want  of  a  good  system ;  and  chiefly,  as  I  shall 
always  think,  because  the  officers  did  not  understand  the 
immense  importance  of  preserving  silence  on  board  a 
crowded  vessel.  The  n*ative  taciturnity  of  the  English,  in- 
creased by  the  social  discipline  of  that  well-ordered — per- 


284  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

haps  over-ordered — nation,  has  won  them  as  many  battles 
on  the  ocean,  as  the  native  loquacity  of  their  enemies — in- 
creased possibly  during  the  reign  of  les  citoyefis  by  political 
exaggeration — has  lost.  It  is  lucky  for  us  that  the  Ameri- 
can character  inclines  to  silence  and  thoughtfulness,  in 
grave  emergencies;  we  are  noisy,  garrulous,  and  sputtering 
only  in  our  politics. 

Perceiving  that  the  storm  was  likely  to  pass  to  leeward, 
we  remained  stationary  a  little  time  to  watch  the  closing 
scene.  I  was  surprised  at  the  manner  in  which  the  Black 
Prince  held  aloof  after  the  Speedy  had  bore  up  and  was 
running  down  in  the  track  of  her  enemies,  sheering  first 
upon  one  quarter  of  le  Cerf  and  then  on  the  other,  pouring 
in  a  close  and  evidently  a  destructive  fire.  At  length  Sir 
Hotham  Ward  bore  up,  and  went  off  before  the  wind  also, 
moving  three  feet  to  the  Speedy's  two,  in  consequence  of 
being  able  to  carry  all  three  of  her  topsails.  It  would  seem 
that  Monsieur  Menneval  was  not  satisfied  with  the  manner 
in  which  his  consort  was  treated;  for  instead  of  waiting  to 
be  assailed  in  the  same  way  he  put  his  helm  to  port  and 
came  by  the  wind,  delivering  a  broadside  as  his  ship  luffed, 
that  soon  explained  the  reason  of  the  Black  Prince's  delay. 
That  ship  had  been  getting  up  preventers  to  save  her  masts, 
and  something  important  must  have  been  cut  by  this  dis- 
charge from  la  Desir^e,  as  her  mainmast  went  immediately 
after  she  received  the  fire,  dragging  down  with  it  her  mizzen- 
topmast.  The  English  ship  showed  stuff,  however,  under 
circumstances  so  critical.  Everything  on  the  foremast  still 
drew,  and  she  continued  on,  heading  direct  for  her  enemy,  nor 
did  she  attempt  to  luff  until  within  two  hundred  yards  of  her, 
when  she  came  by  the  wind  slowly  and  heavily,  a  manoeuvre 
that  was  materially  aided  by  the  fore-topmast's  following 
the  spars  aft,  just  as  her  helm  must  have  been  put  to  port. 
Le  Cerf  finding  the  battle  was  again  to  be  stationary,  also 
came  by  the  wind,  and  then  all  four  of  the  ships  went  at  it 
again,  as  ardently  as  if  the  affair  had  just  commenced. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  285 

It  would  not  be  easy  to  relate  all  the  incidents  of  this 
second  combat.  For  two  hours  the  four  ships  lay  within  a 
cable's  length  of  each  other,  keeping  up  as  animated  a  con- 
test as  circumstances  would  allow.  I  was  particularly 
struck  with  the  noble  behavior  of  the  Black  Prince,  which 
ship  was  compelled  to  fire  through  the  wreck  of  her  masts, 
notwithstanding  which,  she  manifestly  got  the  best  of  the 
cannonading,  as  against  her  particular  antagonist  la  Desiree. 
I  cannot  say  that  either  of  the  four  vessels  failed  of  her 
duty,  though,  I  think,  as  a  whole.  Sir  Hotham  Ward  showed 
the  most  game,  probably  from  the  fact  that  he  had  the  most 
need  of  it.  Encumbered  by  so  much  wreck,  of  which  it  was 
impossible  to  get  rid  while  exposed  to  so  heavy  a  fire,  the 
Black  Prince,  however,  was  finally  dropped  by  her  ad- 
versary, la  Ddsir^e,  drawing  gradually  ahead,  until  neither 
of  those  two  vessels  could  bring  a  gun  to  bear.  The  Eng- 
lish now  turned  to,  to  clear  away  wreck  again,  while  the 
Frenchman  bent  a  new  fore-course  and  a  new  spanker, 
those  that  had  been  standing  being  reduced  to  rags. 

The  Speedy  and  Cerf  had  not  been  idle  the  while.  The 
French  vessel  played  her  part  manfully,  nor  was  there  much 
to  choose  between  them,  when  the  latter  wore  round  and  fol- 
lowed her  consort,  exchanging  a  fire  with  the  Black  Prince 
in  passing  her. 

Had  not  the  real  superiority  of  the  English  over  the 
French  oi^  the  ocean  now  come  in  play,  this  combat  would 
have  been  a  drawn  battle,  though  accompanied  by  the  usual 
characteristics  of  such  struggles,  at  the  close  of  the  last  and 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century ;  or  the  latter  consider- 
ing an  escape  a  sort  of  victory.  But  both  parties  were  re- 
duced to  the  necessity  of  repairing  damages,  and  this  was 
the  work  to  prove  true  nautical  skill.  Any  man  may  load 
and  fire  a  gun,  but  it  needs  a  trained  seaman  to  meet  the 
professional  emergencies  of  warfare.  A  clod-hopper  might 
knock  a  mast  out  of  a  vessel,  but  a  sailor  must  replace  it. 
From  the  beginning  of  this  affair,  all  of  us  in  the  Dawn 


286  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

had  been  struck  with  the  order,  regularity,  and  dispatch 
with  which  the  Black  Prince  and  Speedy  had  made  and 
shortened  sail,  and  the  quickness  and  resource  with  which 
they  had  done  all  that  seamanship  required  in  securing 
wounded  spars  and  torn  sails;  while  there  had  been  no  end 
to  Marble's  sneers  and  comments  on  the  bungling  confusion 
of  the  French.  This  difference  now  became  doubly  ap- 
parent, when  there  was  no  smoke  nor  any  cannonading  to 
divert  the  attention  of  the  respective  crews.  In  half  an 
hour  the  Black  Prince  was  clear  of  the  wreck,  and  she  had 
bent  several  new  sails,  while  the  difficulties  on  board  her 
antagonist  appeared  just  then  to  be  at  their  height.  This 
same  difference  existed  between  the  two  other  vessels, 
though,  on  the  whole,  le  Cerf  got  out  of  her  distress  sooner 
and  more  skilfully  than  her  consort.  As  to  the  Speedy,  I 
must  do  my  old  acquaintance.  Lord  Harry  Dermond,  the 
justice  to  say,  that  he  both  fought  his  ship  and  repaired  his 
damages  in  a  highly  seamanlike  manner.  I'll  answer  for 
it,  the  Hon.  Lieutenant  Powlett  had  not  much  to  do  with 
either.  He  had  much  better  been  in  his  mother's  drawing- 
room  that  day,  and  permitted  a  more  fitting  man  to  fill  his 
place.  Sennit  was  then  on  his  way  to  Barbadoes,  however, 
nor  do  I  believe  your  master  of  a  press  gang  ever  does 
much  before  an  enemy. 

Fully  two  hours  passed,  during  which  the  combatants 
were  busy  in  repairing  damages.  At  the  end  of  this  time, 
la  D^sir^e  and  le  Cerf  had  drawn  more  than  a  mile  to  the 
eastward  of  the  English  ships;  the  latter  following  them, 
as  soon  as  clear  of  their  wrecks,  but  under  diminished  sail. 
The  Black  Prince  had  actually  got  up  three  spare  topmasts, 
in  the  interval,  and  was  now  ready  to  set  their  sails.  The 
Speedy  was  less  active,  or  less  skilful,  though  she,  too,  had 
not  been  idle.  Then  the  English  drove  fast  toward  their 
enemies.  Monsieur  Menneval  bore  up  in  good  season,  this 
time,  edging  away,  and  opening  the  fire  of  both  ships  on  his 
adversaries,   when  they  were  about  half   a   mile  distant. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  28/ 

The  effect  of  this  early  movement  was  soon  apparent,  it  be- 
ing a  great  mistake  to  reserve  a  ship's  fire,  as  against  an 
enemy  that  approaches  nearly  bows  on.  M'Donough  owed 
his  victory  in  Plattsburg  Bay,  to  having  improved  so  favor- 
able a  chance ;  and  the  French  were  beaten  at  the  Nile,  be- 
cause they  did  not;  though  Nelson  probably  would  have 
overcome  them  under  any  circumstances;  the  energy  im- 
parted by  one  of  his  character,  more  than  counterbalancing 
any  little  advantage  in  tactics. 

On  the  present  occasion,  we  could  see  the  fire  of  the 
French  taking  effect  on  the  Black  Prince's  spars,  as  soon 
as  they  opened  her  batteries.  As  the  matter  was  subse- 
quently explained  in  the  official  account,  that  ship's  lower 
masts  were  badly  wounded  before  she  sent  up  the  new  top- 
masts; and,  receiving  some  further  injuries,  stick  began  to 
come  down  after  stick,  until  nothing  was  left  of  all  her 
hamper,  but  three  stumps  of  lower  masts,  the  highest  less 
than  twenty  feet  above  the  deck.  Sir  Hotham  Ward  was 
now  in  the  worst  plight  he  had  been  in  that  day,  his  ship 
being  unable  to  advance  a  foot,  her  drift  excepted,  until 
everything  was  cut  away.  To  the  landsman  it  may  appear 
a  small  job  to  cut  ropes  with  axes,  and  thus  liberate  a  vessel 
from  the  encumbrance  and  danger  of  falling  spars;  but  the 
seaman  knows  it  is  often  a  most  delicate  and  laborious  piece 
of  duty.  The  ocean  is  never  quiet ;  and  a  vessel  that  is  not 
steadied  by  the  pressure  of  her  sails,  frequently  rolls  in  a 
way  to  render  it  no  slight  task  even  to  maintain  one's  foot- 
ing on  her  decks;  frigates  and  ships  of  the  line  frequently 
proving  more  inconvenient  than  smaller  vessels,  under  such 
circumstances. 

There  was  one  fortunate  occurrence  to  the  British,  con- 
nected with  this  disaster.  The  French  had  been  so  thor- 
oughly bent  on  dismasting  the  Black  Prince,  that  they  paid 
little  attention  to  the  Speedy;  that  ship  actually  passing  a 
short  distance  to  windward  of  her  consort,  unnoticed  and 
unharmed.     As  the  French  were  going  to  leeward  the  whole 


288  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

time,  it  enabled  the  Speedy  to  get  out  of  the  range  of  their 
guns,  before  she  bore  up.  As  soon  as  this  was  effected,  she 
followed  her  enemies,  under  twice  as  much  canvas  as  they 
carried  themselves.  Of  course,  in  less  than  half  an  hour, 
she  was  enabled  to  close  with  le  Cerf,  coming  up  on  one  of 
her  quarters,  and  opening  a  heavy  fire  close  aboard  her. 
All  this  time,  the  Black  Prince  remained  like  a  log  upon  the 
water,  trying  to  get  clear  of  her  wreck,  the  combat  driving 
slowly  away  from  her  to  leeward.  Her  men  worked  like 
ants,  and  we  actually  heard  the  cheers  they  raised,  as  the 
hull  of  their  ship  forged  itself  clear  of  the  maze  of  masts, 
yards,  sails,  and  rigging,  in  which  it  had  been  so  long  en- 
veloped. This  was  no  sooner  done,  than  she  let  fall  a  sail 
from  her  spritsail-yard,  one  bent  for  the  occasion,  and  a 
topgallant-sail  was  set  to  a  light  spar  that  had  been  rigged 
against  the  stump  of  the  mainmast — the  stick  that  rose 
highest  from  her  deck. 

As  the  battle,  like  a  gust  in  the  heavens,  was  passing  to 
leeward.  Marble  and  I  determined  to  fill,  and  follow  the 
combatants  down,  the  course  being  precisely  that  we  wished 
to  steer.  With  a  view,  however,  to  keep  out  of  the  range  of 
shot,  we  hauled  the  Dawn  up  to  the  eastward  first,  intend- 
ing to  keep  her  in  the  wake  of  the  Black  Prince.  Of 
course  we  were  in  no  hurry,  it  now  being  in  our  power  to 
go  six  feet  to  that  ship's  one. 

In  executing  our  purpose,  we  passed  close  to  the  wreck  of 
the  English  frigate's  spars.  There  they  were  rolling  about 
on  the  troubled  water,  and  we  actually  saw  the  body  of  a 
man  caught  in  some  of  the  rigging,  as  the  sea  occasionally 
tossed  it  to  the  surface.  The  poor  fellow  had  probably 
gone  over  with  the  mast  and  been  drowned  before  assistance 
could  be  rendered.  With  an  enemy  escaping,  min-of-war's- 
men  are  not  very  particular  about  picking  up  the  bodies  of 
their  dead. 

I  did  not  venture  to  run  the  Dawn  directly  down  in  the 
Englishman's  wake,  but  we  kept  her  off  and  on,  rather,  tak- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  289 

ing  good  care  not  to  go  within  a  mile  of  her.  All  this  time 
the  Speedy  was  playing  upon  the  Cerf's  quarter,  the  latter 
ship  becoming  too  crippled  to  luff,  while  Monsieur  Menne- 
val  was  travelling  off  to  leeward,  unmolested,  having  ob- 
tained an  advantage  in  the  way  of  speed,  that  he  was  un- 
willing to  put  in  any  jeopardy  by  coming  again  under  fire. 
This  officer  did  not  want  for  spirit,  but  the  French  had  got 
to  be  so  accustomed  to  defeat,  in  their  naval  encounters  with 
the  English,  that,  like  several  other  nations  on  the  land, 
they  had  begun  to  look  upon  victory  as  hopeless.  The  Cerf 
was  very  nobly  fought.  Notwithstanding  the  disadvantages 
under  which  she  labored,  that  ship  held  out  until  the  Black 
Prince  had  actually  given  her  a  close  broadside  on  her  lar- 
board quarter;  the  Speedy  being  kept  the  whole  time  on 
her  starboard  with  great  skill,  pouring  in  a  nearly  unre- 
sisted fire.  The  Cerf  struck  only  as  she  found  that  the 
battle  was  to  be  two  to  one,  and  under  so  many  other  disad- 
vantages, in  the  bargain. 

This  closed  the  affair,  so  far  as  the  fighting  was  con- 
cerned, la  Desir^e  standing  on  unmolested,  though,  as  I 
afterward  learned,  she  was  picked  up  next  morning  by  a 
homeward-bound  English  two-decker,  hauling  down  her 
colors  without  any  resistance. 

The  reader  may  feel  some  curiosity  to  know  how  we  felt 
on  board  the  Dawn,  during  the  five  hours  that  elapsed  be- 
tween the  firing  of  the  first  and  the  last  gun,  on  this  occa- 
sion ;  what  was  said  among  us,  and  how  we  proceeded  as 
soon  as  the  victory  was  decided.  The  last  he  will  learn  in 
the  regular  course  of  the  narrative ;  as  for  the  first,  it  is  soon 
told.  It  was  not  easy  to  find  four  men  who  were  more  im- 
partial, as  between  the  combatants,  than  those  in  the  Dawn. 
My  early  preferences  had  certainly  been  in  favor  of  Eng- 
land, as  was  very  generally  the  case  among  all  the  better- 
educated  Americans  of  my  period,  at  least  as  low  down  as 
the  war  of  1812.  But  going  beyond  the  scene  of  internal 
political  discussion,  and  substituting  observation  for  the 
'9 


290  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

eulogies  and  sophisms  of  the  newspapers,  had  wrought 
divers  changes  in  my  opinion.  England  was  then  no  more 
to  me  than  any  other  nation ;  I  was  not  of  the  French  school 
of  politics,  however,  and  kept  myself  as  much  aloof  from 
one  of  these  foreign  schools  of  political  logicians  as  from 
the  other.  I  may  be  said  to  have  been  born  a  federalist; 
but  this  change  of  sentiment  had  prevented  my  ever  giving 
a  federal  vote  since  attaining  my  majority. 

Marble  had  entertained  a  strong  dislike  for  England  ever 
since  the  Revolution.  But  at  the  same  time  he  had  inherited 
the  vulgar  contempt  of  his  class  for  Frenchmen ;  and  I  must 
own  that  he  had  a  fierce  pleasure  in  seeing  the  combatants 
destroy  each  other.  Had  we  been  near  enough  to  witness 
the  personal  suffering  inflicted  by  the  terrible  wounds  of  a 
naval  combat,  I  make  no  doubt  his  feelings  would  have 
been  different;  but,  as  things  were,  he  only  saw  French  and 
English  ships  tearing  each  other  to  pieces.  During  the 
height  of  the  affair,  he  osberved  to  me : 

"  If  this  Monsieur  Gallois  and  his  bloody  lugger  could 
only  be  brought  into  the  scrape,  Miles,  my  mind  would  be 
contented.  I  should  glory  in  seeing  the  corvette  and  the 
Polisson  scratching  out  each  other's  eyes,  like  two  fish- 
women  whose  dictionaries  have  given  out." 

Neb  and  Diogenes  regarded  the  whole  thing  very  much 
as  I  suppose  the  Caesars  used  to  look  upon  the  arena  when 
the  gladiators  were  the  most  bloodthirsty.  The  negroes 
would  laugh,  cry  "  golly !  "  or  shake  their  heads  with  delight, 
when  half  a  dozen  guns  went  off  together;  receiving  the  re- 
ports as  a  sort  of  evidence  that  crashing  work  was  going  on, 
on  board  the  vessels.  But  I  overheard  a  dialogue  between 
these  two  children  of  Africa,  that  may  best  explain  their 
feelings: 

"Which  you  t'ink  whip,  Neb?"  Diogenes  asked,  with  a 
grin  that  showed  every  ivory  tooth  in  his  head. 

"  I  t'ink  'em  bot'  get  it  smartly,"  answered  my  fellow. 
"  Vou  see  how  a  Speedy  make  quick  work,  eh  ?  " 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  29 1 

"  I  wish  *em  go  a  leetle  nearer,  Neb.  Some  shot  nebber 
hit,  at  all." 

"  Dat  always  so,  cook,  in  battle.  Dere !  dat  a  smasher 
for  John  Bull!" 

"  He  won't  want  to  press  more  men  just  now.     Eh,  Neb?  " 

"Now  you  see  Johnny  Crepaud  catch  it!  Woss!  Dat 
cracks  'e  cabin  winders!  " 

"  What  dat  to  us,  Neb  ?  'Spose  he  eat  one  anoder,  don't 
hurt  us!" 

Here  the  two  spectators  broke  out  into  a  loud  fit  of 
laughter,  clapping  their  hands  and  swinging  their  bodies 
about  as  if  the  whole  thing  were  capital  fun.  Diogenes  was 
so  much  delighted  when  all  the  Black  Prince's  spars  went, 
that  he  actually  began  to  dance,  Neb  regarding  his  antics 
with  a  sort  of  good-natured  sympathy.  There  is  no  ques- 
tion that  man,  at  the  bottom,  has  a  good  deal  of  the  wild 
beast  in  him,  and  that  he  can  be  brought  to  look  upon  any 
spectacle,  however  fierce  and  sanguinary,  as  a  source  of  in- 
terest and  entertainment.  If  a  criminal  is  to  be  executed, 
we  always  find  thousands  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages  assem- 
bling to  witness  a  fellow-creature's  agony,  and  although 
these  curious  personages  often  have  sentimental  qualms 
during  the  revolting  spectacle  itself,  they  never  turn  away 
their  eyes,  until  satisfied  with  all  that  there  is  to  be  seen  of 
the  terrible  or  the  revolting. 

A  word  must  be  added  concerning  an  acquaintance,  Mon- 
sieur Gallois.  Just  as  the  Black  Prince's  masts  went,  I  saw 
him,  a  long  way  to  windward,  stretching  in  toward  the 
coast,  and  carrying  sail  as  hard  as  his  lugger  would  bear. 
The  corvette  was  still  close  at  his  heels,  and  Marble  soon 
after  drew  my  attention  toward  him  to  observe  the  smoke 
that  was  rising  above  the  sloop-of-war.  The  distance  was 
so  great  and  the  guns  so  light  that  we  heard  no  reports,  but 
the  smoke  continued  to  rise  u^til  both  vessels  went  out  of 
sight,  in  the  southwestern  board.  I  subsequently  learned 
that  the   lugger  escaped,   after   all.     She   was  very  hard 


292  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

pressed,  and  would  have  been  captured,  had  not  the  English 
ship  carried  away  her  main-topgallant-mast,  in  her  eager- 
ness to  get  alongside.  To  that  accident  alone  did  Monsieur 
Gallois  owe  his  escape.  I  trust  he  and  Monsieur  le  Gros 
had  a  happy  meeting. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  sea  wax'd  calm,  and  we  discovered 
Two  ships  from  far  making  amain  to  us, 
Of  Corinth  that,  of  Epidaurus  this : 
But  on  they  came— O,  let  me  say  no  more ! 
Gather  the  sequel  by  that  went  before. 

Comedy  of  Errors. 

It  was  high  time  for  the  Dawn  to  be  doing.  Of  all  the 
ships  to  leeward,  the  Speedy,  the  vessel  we  had  most  reason 
to  apprehend,  was  in  the  best  condition  to  do  us  harm.  It 
was  true  that  just  then  we  might  outsail  her,  but  a  man-of- 
war's  crew  would  soon  restore  the  balance  of  power,  if  it  did 
not  make  it  preponderate  against  us.  I  called  to  my  mate, 
and  we  went  aft  to  consult. 

"  It  will  not  do  for  us  to  remain  any  longer  here,  Moses," 
I  began;  "the  English  are  masters  of  the  day,  and  the 
Speedy's  officers  having  recognized  us,  beyond  all  doubt, 
she  will  be  on  our  heels  the  moment  she  can." 

"I  rather  think.  Miles,  her  travelling,  for  some  hours  to 
come,  is  over.  There  she  is,  however,  and  she  has  our  crew 
on  board  her,  and  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  get  some  of 
them,  if  possible.  If  a  body  had  a  boat,  now,  I  might  go 
down  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and  see  what  tarms  could  be 
made." 

I  laughed  at  this  conceit,  telling  Marble  he  would  be  wise 
to  remain  where  he  was.  I  would  give  the  Speedy  four 
hours  to  get  herself  in  tolerable  sailing  trim  again,  suppos- 
ing her  bent  on  pursuit.  If  in  no  immediate  hurry,  it  might 
occupy  her  four-and-twenty  hours. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  293 

"  I  think  she  may  be  disposed  to  follow  the  other  French 
frigate,  which  is  clearly  making  her  way  toward  Brest,"  I 
added, "  in  which  case  we  have  nothing  to  fear.  By  George ! 
there  goes  a  gun,  and  here  comes  a  shot  in  our  direction — 
you  can  see  it,  Moses,  skipping  along  the  water,  almost  in  a 
line  between  us  and  the  frigate.     Ay,  here  it  comes!  " 

All  this  was  literally  true.  The  Speedy  lay  with  her 
bows  toward  us,  and  she  had  suddenly  fired  the  shot  to 
which  I  alluded,  and  which  now  came  bounding  from  wave 
to  wave,  until  it  struck  precisely  in  a  line  with  the  ship, 
about  a  hundred  yards  distant. 

"  Halloo !  '^  cried  Marble,  who  had  levelled  his  glass 
toward  the  frigates.  "  There's  the  deuce  to  pay  down  there, 
Miles — one  boat  pulling  this-a-way,  for  life  or  death,  and 
another  a'ter  it.  The  shot  was  intended  for  the  leading 
boat  and  not  for  us." 

This  brought  my  glass  down,  too.  Sure  enough,  there 
was  a  small  boat  pulling  straight  for  us,  and  of  course 
directly  to  windward  of  the  frigate ;  the  men  in  it  exerting 
every  nerve.  There  were  seven  seamen  in  this  boat,-  six  at 
the  oars,  and  one  steering.  The  truth  flashed  on  me  in  a 
moment.  These  were  some  of  our  own  people,  headed  by 
the  second  mate,  who  had  availed  themselves  of  the  circum- 
stances of  one  of  the  Speedy's  boats  being  in  the  water, 
without  a  crew,  to  run  away  with  it  in  the  confusion  of  the 
moment.  The  Black  Prince  had  taken  possession  of  the 
prize,  as  we  had  previously  noted,  and  that  with  a  single 
boat,  and  the  cutter  in  pursuit  appeared  to  me  to  be  coming 
from  the  Frenchman.  I  immediately  acquainted  Marble 
with  my  views  of  the  matter,  and  he  seized  on  the  idea 
eagerly,  as  one  probable  and  natural. 

"Them's  our  fellows.  Miles!"  he  exclaimed;  "we  must 
fill,  and  meet  'em  half  way!  " 

It  was  certainly  in  our  ^wer  to  lessen  the  distance  the  ' 
fugitives  had  to  run,  by  standing  down  to  meet  the  leading 
boat.     This   could  not   be   done,  however,  without  going 


294  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

within  reach  of  the  English  guns;  the  late  experiment  show- 
ing unanswerably,  that  we  lay  just  without  the  drop  of  their 
shot,  as  it  was.  I  never  saw  men  in  a  greater  excitement, 
than  that  which  now  came  over  us  all  in  the  Dawn.  Fill, 
we  did,  immediately;  that,  at  least,  could  do  no  harm; 
whereas  it  might  do  much  good.  I  never  supposed  for  a  mo- 
ment the  English  were  sending  boats  after  us,  since,  with  the 
wind  that  was  blowing,  it  would  have  been  easy  for  the 
Dawn  to  leave  them  miles  behind  her,  in  the  first  hour. 
Each  instant  rendered  my  first  conjecture  the  most  likely  to 
be  true.  There  could  be  no  mistaking  the  exertions  of  the 
crews  of  the  two  boats;  the  pursuers  seemingly  doing  their 
best,  as  well  as  the  pursued.  The  frigate  could  no  longer 
fire,  however,  the  boats  being  already  in  a  line,  and  there 
being  equal  danger  to  both  from  her  shot. 

The  reader  will  understand  that  large  ships  seldom  en- 
gage, when  the  ocean  will  permit  it,  without  dropping  one 
or  more  of  their  boats  into  the  water;  and  that  warm  actions 
at  sea  rarely  occur,  without  most  of  the  boats  being,  more 
or  less,  injured.  It  often  happens  that  a  frigate  can  muster 
only  one  or  two  boats  that  will  swim,  after  a  combat;  and 
frequently  only  the  one  she  had  taken  the  precaution  to 
lower  into  the  water,  previously  to  engaging.  It  was  owing 
to  some  such  circumstance  that  only  one  boat  followed  the 
fugitives  in  the  present  instance.  The  race  must  neces- 
sarily be  short;  and  it  would  have  been  useless  to  send  a 
second  boat  in  pursuit,  could  one  be  found,  after  the  first 
two  or  three  all-important  minutes  were  lost. 

The  Dawn  showed  her  ensign,  as  a  sign  we  saw  our  poor 
fellows  struggling  to  regain  us,  and  then  we  filled  our  main 
topsail,  squaring  away  and  standing  down  directly  for  the 
fugitives.  Heavens!  how  that  main-yard  went  round, 
though  there  were  but  three  men  at  the  braces.  Each  of  us 
hauled  and  worked  like  a  giant.  There  was  every  induce- 
ment of  feeling,  interest,  and  security  to  do  so.  With  our 
present  force,  the  ship  could  scarcely  be  said  to  be  safe; 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  295 

whereas,  the  seven  additional  hands,  and  they  our  own 
people,  who  were  straining  every  nerve  to  join  us,  would  at 
once  enable  us  to  carry  the  ship  direct  to  Hamburg. 

Our  old  craft  behaved  beautifully.  Neb  was  at  the 
wheel,  the  cook  on  the  forecastle,  while  Marble  and  I  got 
ropes  cleared  away  to  throw  to  the  runaways,  as  soon  as  they 
should  be  near  enough  to  receive  them.  Down  we  drove 
toward  the  boat,  and  it  was  time  we  did,  for  the  cutter  in 
pursuit,  which  pulled  ten  oars,  and  was  full  manned,  was 
gaining  fast  on  the  fugitives.  As  we  afterward  learned,  in 
the  eagerness  of  starting,  our  men  had  shipped  the  crest  of 
a  sea,  and  they  were  now  laboring  under  the  great  disad- 
vantage of  carrying  more  than  a  barrel  of  water,  which  was 
washing  about  in  the  bottom  of  their  cutter,  rendering  her 
both  heavy  and  unsteady. 

So  intense  was  the  interest  we  all  felt  in  the  result  of  this 
struggle,  that  our  feelings  during  the  battle  could  not  be 
compared  to  it.  I  could  see  Marble  move  his  body,  as  a 
sitter  in  a  boat  is  apt  to  do,  at  each  jerk  of  the  oars,  under 
the  notion  it  helps  the  party  along.  Diogenes  actually 
called  out,  and  this  a  dozen  times  at  least,  to  encourage  the 
men  to  pull  for  their  lives,  though  they  were  not  yet  within 
a  mile  of  us.  The  constant  rising  and  setting  of  the  boats 
prevented  my  making  very  minute  observations  with  the 
glass;  but  I  distinguished  the  face  of  my  second  mate,  who 
was  sitting  aft,  and  I  could  see  he  was  steering  with  one 
hand  and  baling  with  the  other.  We  now  waved  our  hats 
in  hopes  of  being  seen,  but  got  no  answering  signal,  the 
distance  being  still  too  great. 

At  that  moment  I  cared  nothing  for  the  guns  of  the  Eng- 
lish ship,  though  we  were  running  directly  for  them.  The 
boat — the  boat  was  our  object !  For  that  we  steered  as  un- 
erringly as  the  motion  of  the  rolling  water  would  allow.  It 
blew  a  good  working  br«eze;  and,  what  was  of  the  last  im- 
portance to  us,  it  blew  steadily.  I  fancied  the  ship  did  not 
move,  notwithstanding,  though  the  rate  at  which  we  drew 


296  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

nearer  to  the  boat  ought  to  have  told  us  better.  But  anx- 
iety had  taken  the  place  of  reason,  and  we  were  all  disposed 
to  see  things  as  we  felt,  rather  than  as  we  truly  found  them. 
There  was  abundant  reason  for  uneasiness,  the  cutter  astern 
certainly  going  through  the  water  four  feet  to  the  other's 
three.  Manned  with  her  regular  crew,  with  everything  in- 
order,  and  with  men  accustomed  to  pull  together,  the  largest 
boat,  and  rowing  ten  oars  to  the  six  of  my  mate's,  I  made 
no  doubt  that  the  cutter  of  the  Black  Prince  would  have 
beaten  materially  in  an  ordinary  race,  more  especially  in 
the  rough  water  over  which  the  contest  occurred.  But, 
nearly  a  tenth  full  of  water,  the  boat  of  the  fugitives  had  a 
greatly  lessened  chance  of  escape. 

Of  course,  we  then  knew  no  more  than  we  could  see,  and 
we  were  not  slow  to  perceive  how  fast  the  pursuers  were 
gaining  on  the  pursued.  I  really  began  to  tremble  for  the 
result ;  and  this  so  much  the  more,  as  the  larger  cutter  was 
near  enough  by  this  time  to  permit  me  to  discover,  by  means 
of  the  glass,  the  ends  of  several  muskets  rising  out  of  her 
stern-sheets.  Could  she  get  near  enough  for  her  officers  to 
use  these  weapons,  the  chance  of  our  people  was  gone,  since 
it  was  not  to  be  even  hoped  they  had  any  arms. 

The  end  approached.  The  Dawn  had  got  good  way  on 
her.  Marble  and  Diogenes  having  dragged  down  the  main- 
topgallant  sheets  and  hoisted  the  sail.  The  water  foamed 
under  our  bows,  and  the  boat  was  soon  so  near  it  became 
indispensable  to  haul  our  wind.  This  we  did  with  the 
ship's  head  to  the  westward,  without  touching  a  brace, 
though  we  luffed  sufficiently  to  throw  the  wind  out  of  all 
the  square  sails.  The  last  was  done  to  deaden  the  vessel's 
way,  in  order  that  the  fugitives  might  reach  her. 

The  struggle  became  frightful  for  its  intenseness.  Our 
men  were  so  near  we  could  recognize  them  without  the  aid 
of  a  glass;  with  it,  I  could  read  the  glowing  anxiety  that 
was  in  my  second  mate's  countenance.  Each  instant  the 
pursuers  closed,  until  they  were  actually  much  nearer  to 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  29/ 

the  pursued  than  the  latter  were  to  the  Dawn.  For  the  first 
time,  now,  I  suspected  the  truth,  by  the  heavy  movement  of 
the  flying  cutter,  and  the  water  that  the  second  mate  was 
constantly  baling  out  of  her,  using  his  hat.  Marble  brought 
up  the  muskets  left  by  the  privateersmen,  and  began  to  re- 
new their  primings.  He  wished  to  fire  at  once  on  the  pur- 
suing boat — she  being  within  range  of  a  bullet — but  this  I 
knew  would  not  be  legal.  I  promised  to  use  them  should 
the  English  attempt  to  board  the  ship,  but  did  not  dare  to 
anticipate  that  movement. 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  boats,  the  chasing  gaining 
always  on  the  chased;  and  now  the  Black  Prince  and  the 
Speedy  each  threw  a  shot  quite  over  us.  We  were  about  a 
mile  from  the  three  frigates,  rather  increasing  than  lessening 
that  distance,  however,  as  they  drifted  to  leeward,  while  we 
were  slightly  luffing,  with  our  yards  a  little  braced  up,  the 
leeches  lifting.  Neb  steered  the  ship  as  one  would  have 
guided  a  pilot-boat.  He  had  an  eye  for  the  boats  as  well 
as  for  the  sails — knew  all  that  was  wanted,  and  all  that  was 
to  be  done.  I  never  saw  him  touch  a  wheel  with  so  delicate 
a  hand,  or  one  that  better  did  its  duty.  The  Dawn's  way 
was  so  much  deadened  as  to  give  the  fugitives  every  oppor- 
tunity to  close,  while  she  was  steadily  coming  up  abreast  of 
their  course  in  readiness  to  meet  them. 

At  this  instant,  the  officer  in  the  Black  Prince's  cutter 
fired  into  that  of  the  Speedy ;  and  one  of  our  men  suddenly 
dropped  his  oar.  He  was  hit.  I  thought  the  poor  fellow's 
arm  was  broken,  for  I  could  see  him  lay  a  hand  on  the  in- 
jured part,  like  a  man  who  suffered  pain.  He  instantly 
changed  places  with  the  second  mate,  who,  however,  seized 
his  oar,  and  began  to  use  it,  with  great  power.  Three  more 
muskets  were  fired,  seemingly  without  doing  any  harm.  But 
the  leading  boat  lost  by  this  delay,  while  its  pursuers  held 
steadily  on.  Our  own  people  were  within  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  of  us — the  English  less  than  twenty  behind 
them.     Why  the  latter  did  not  now  fire,  I  do  not  actually 


298  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

know ;  but  I  suppose  it  to  be,  because  their  muskets  were 
all  discharged,  and  the  race  was  now  too  sharp  to  allow  the 
officer  to  reload.  Possibly  he  did  not  wish  to  take  life  un- 
necessarily, the  chances  fast  turning  to  his  side. 

I  called  out  to  Marble  to  stand  by  with  a  rope.  The 
ship  was  slowly  drawing  ahead,  and  there  was  no  time  to  be 
lost.  I  then  shouted  to  my  second  mate  to  be  of  good  heart, 
and  he  answered  with  a  cheer.  The  English  hurrahed,  and 
we  sent  back  the  cry  from  the  ship. 

"  Stand  by  in  the  boat,  for  the  rope !  "  I  cried.  "  Heave, 
Moses — heave !  " 

Marble  hove  from  the  mizzen-chains,  the  rope  was 
caught,  and  a  motion  of  my  hand  told  Neb  to  keep  the  ship 
off,  until  everything  drew.  This  was  done,  and  the  rattling 
of  the  clew-garnet  blocks  announced  that  Diogenes  was 
hauling  down  the  main -tack  with  the  strength  of  a  giant. 
The  sail  opened,  and  Moses  and  I  hauled  in  the  sheet,  until 
the  ship  felt  the  enormous  additional  pressure  of  this  broad 
breadth  of  canvas.  At  this  instant  there  was  a  cheer  from 
the  boat.  Leaping  upon  the  taffrail,  I  saw  the  men  erect, 
waving  their  hats,  and  looking  toward  the  pursuing  cutter, 
then  within  a  hundred  feet  of  them,  vainly  attempting  to 
come  up  with  a  boat  that  was  now  dragging  nearly  bows 
under,  and  feeling  all  the  strength  of  our  tow.  The  officer 
cheered  his  men  to  renewed  exertion,  and  he  began  to  load 
a  musket.  At  this  moment  the  tow-line  slipped  from  the 
thwart  of  the  boat,  and  we  shot  away,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  a 
hundred  feet,  on  the  send  of  the  very  next  sea.  There  was 
not  time  for  the  Americans  to  get  seated  at  their  oars  again, 
before  the  other  cutter  grappled.  All  that  had  been  gained 
was  lost,  and,  after  so  near  and  close  a  chance  of  recovering 
the  most  valuable  portion  of  my  crew,  was  I  again  left  on 
the  ocean  with  the  old  four  to  manage  the  Dawn ! 

The  English  lieutenant  knew  his  business  too  well,  to 
abandon  the  ship  while  there  was  a  chance  of  recovering 
her.     The  wind  lulled  a  little,  and  he  thought  the  hope  of 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  299 

success  worth  an  effort.  Merely  taking  all  the  oars  out  of 
the  Speedy's  cutter,  he  dashed  on  in  our  wake.  At  first  he 
gained,  nor  was  I  unwilling  he  should,  for  I  wished  to  speak 
him.  The  main  and  fore-sheets  were  eased  off,  and  Neb 
was  told  to  keep  the  topsails  lifting.  Thus  favored,  he  soon 
got  within  fifty  yards  of  us,  straining  every  nerve  to  get 
nearer.  The  officer  pointed  a  musket  at  me,  and  ordered 
me  to  heave-to.  I  jumped  off  the  taffrail,  and,  with  my 
body  covered  to  the  shoulders,  pointed  one  of  the  French 
muskets  at  him,  and  warned  him  to  keep  off. 

"  What  have  you  done  with  the  prize  crew  put  on  board 
you  from  the  Speedy,  the  other  day  ?  "  called  out  the  lieu- 
tenant. 

"  Sent  them  adrift,"  I  answered.  "  We've  had  enough  of 
prize  crews  in  this  ship,  and  want  no  more." 

"  Heave-to,  sir,  on  the  pain  of  being  treated  as  a  pirate, 
also." 

"Ay,  ay,"  shouted  Marble,  who  could  keep  silent  no 
longer,  "  first  catch  a  pirate.  Fire,  if  you  are  tired  of  your 
cruise.  I  wish  them  bloody  Frenchmen  had  stopped  all 
your  grog ! " 

This  was  neither  dignified  nor  politic,  and  I  ordered  my 
mate  to  be  silent.  In  a  good-natured  tone  I  inquired  for 
the  names  of  the  late  combatants,  and  the  losses  of  the  dif- 
ferent ships,  but  this  was  too  cool  for  our  pursuer's  humor, 
and  I  got  no  answer.  He  did  not  dare  fire,  however,  find- 
ing we  v^ere  armed,  and,  as  I  supposed,  seeing  there  was  no 
prospect  of  his  getting  easily  on  board  us,  even  should  he 
get  alongside,  he  gave  up  the  chase,  returning  to  the  cap- 
tured boat.  We  again  filled  and  trimmed  everything,  and 
went  dashing  through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  seven  knots. 

The  frigates  did  not  fire  at  us,  after  the  guns  already 
mentioned.  Why,  I  cannot  positively  say;  but  I  thought, 
at  the  time,  that  they  had  t^o  many  other  things  to  attend 
to,  besides  seeing  the  little  chance  there  was  of  overtaking 
us,  should  they  even  happen  to  cripple  a  spar  or  two. 


300  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Great  was  the  disappointment  on  board  the  Dawn,  at  the 
result  of  the  final  incidents  of  this  eventful  day.  Marble 
swore  outright;  for  no  remonstrance  of  mine  could  cure  him 
of  indulging  in  this  habit,  especially  when  a  little  excited. 
Diogenes  grinned  defiance,  and  fairly  shook  his  fists  at  the 
boat;  while  Neb  laughed  and  half  cried  in  a  breath — the 
sure  sign  the  fellow's  feelings  were  keenly  aroused. 

As  for  myself,  I  felt  as  much  as  any  of  the  party,  but  pre- 
served more  self-command.  I  saw  it  was  now  necessary  to 
quit  that  vicinity,  and  to  take  some  definite  steps  for  the 
preservation  of  my  own  ship  and  property.  There  was  lit- 
tle to  apprehend,  however,  from  the  frigates,  unless  indeed 
it  should  fall  calm.  In  the  latter  case,  they  might  board 
us  with  their  boats,  which  an  hour  or  two's  work  would 
probably  enable  them  to  use  again.  But  I  had  no  intention 
of  remaining  in  their  neighborhood,  being  desirous  of  prof- 
iting by  the  present  wind. 

The  sails  were  trimmed  accordingly,  and  the  ship  was 
steered  northwesterly,  on  a  course  that  took  us  past  the  three 
vessels-of-war,  giving  them  so  wide  a  berth  as  to  avoid  all 
danger  from  their  batteries.  As  soon  as  this  was  done,  and 
the  Dawn  was  travelling  her  road  at  a  good  rate,  I  beckoned 
to  Marble  to  come  near  the  wheel,  for  I  had  taken  the 
helmsman's  duty  on  myself  for  an  hour  or  two:  in  other 
words,  I  was  doing  that  which,  from  my  boyish  experience 
on  the  Hudson,  I  had  once  fancied  it  was  not  only  the  duty, 
but  the Jf/easure,  of  every  shipmaster  to  do,  viz.,  steering! 
Little  did  I  understand,  before  practice  taught  me  the  les- 
son, that  of  all  the  work  on  board  ship,  which  Jack  is  re- 
quired to  do,  his  trick  at  the  wheel  is  that  which  he  least 
covets,  unless  indeed  it  may  be  the  office  of  stowing  the  jib 
in  heavy  weather. 

"Well,  Moses,"  I  began,  "this  affair  is  over,  and  we've 
the  Atlantic  before  us  again,  with  all  the  ports  of  Europe  to 
select  from,  and  a  captain,  one  mate,  the  cook,  and  one  man 
to  carry  the  ship  where  we  please  to  take  her." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  3OI 

"Ay,  ay — *t  has  been  a  bad  job,  this  last.  I  was  as  sure 
of  them  lads,  until  the  lieutenant  fired  his  musket,  as  ever 
I  was  of  a  good  landfall  with  a  fair  wind.  I  can't  describe 
to  you,  Miles,  the  natur'  of  the  disapp'intment  I  felt,  when 
I  saw  'em  give  up.  I  can  best  compare  it  to  that  which 
came  over  me  when  I  discovered  I  was  nothing  but  a  bloody 
hermit,  after  all  my  generalizing  about  being  a  governor 
and  a  lord  high  admiral  of  an  island,  all  to  myself,  as  it 
might  be." 

"  It  can't  be  helped,  and  we  must  take  things  as  we  find 
them.  The  question  is,  what  is  to  be  done  with  the  ship? 
Should  we  venture  into  the  Channel,  yonder  chaps  will  be 
after  us  with  the  news  of  a  Yankee,  on  board  of  whom  they 
put  a  prize  crew,  being  adrift  without  the  men;  and  there 
are  fifty  cruisers  ready  to  pick  us  up.  The  news  will  spread 
all  over  the  Channel  in  a  week,  and  our  chances  of  getting 
through  the  Straits  of  Dover  will  be  so  small  as  not  to  be 
worth  naming;  nay,  these  fellows  will  soon  repair  damages, 
and  might  possibly  overtake  us  themselves.  The  Speedy  is 
only  half  crippled." 

"I  see — I  see.  You've  a  trick  with  you,  Miles,  that 
makes  a  few  words  go  a  great  way.  I  see,  and  I  agree. 
But  an  idea  has  come  to  my  mind,  that  you're  welcome  to, 
and  after  turning  it  over,  do  what  you  please  with  it.  In- 
stead of  going  to  the  eastward  of  Scilly,  what  say  you  to 
passing  to  the  westward,  and  shaping  our  course  for  the 
Irish  Channel?  The  news  will  not  follow  us  that-a-way 
for  some  time ;  and  we  may  meet  with  some  American,  or 
other,  bound  to  Liverpool.  Should  the  worst  come  to  the 
worst,  we  can  pass  through  between  Ireland  and  Scotland, 
and  work  our  way  round  Cape  Wrath,  and  go  into  our  port 
of  destination.  It  is  a  long  road,  I  know,  and  a  hard  one 
in  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  but  it  may  be  travelled  in 
midsummer,  comfortably  eitough." 

"I  like  your  notion  well  enough,  Marble,  and  am  ready 
to  carry  it  out,  as  far  as  we  are  able.     It  must  be  a  hard 


302  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

fortune,  indeed,  that  will  not  throw  us  in  the  way  of  some 
fisherman,  or  coaster,  who  will  be  willing  to  let  us  have  a 
hand  or  two,  for  double  wages." 

"  Why,  on  that  p'int,  Miles,  the  difficulty  is  in  the  war, 
and  the  hot  press  that  must  now  be  going.  The  English 
will  be  shy  in  visiting  the  opposite  coast;  and  good  men  are 
hard  to  find,  just  now,  I'm  thinking,  floating  about  the  coast 
of  England,  unless  they  are  under  a  pennant." 

"  A  hand,  or  two,  that  can  steer,  will  be  an  immense  relief 
to  us,  Moses,  even  though  unable  to  go  aloft.  Call  Neb  to 
the  wheel,  then,  and  we'll  go  look  at  the  chart,  so  as  to  lay 
our  course." 

All  was  done,  accordingly.  In  half  an  hour,  the  Dawn 
was  steering  for  the  western  coast  of  England,  with  every- 
thing set  we  thought  it  prudent  to  carry.  Two  hours  after 
we  began  to  move  away  from  the  spot  where  they  lay,  the 
frigates  had  sunk  behind  the  curvature  of  the  earth,  and  we 
lost  sight  of  them  altogether.  The  weather  continued  good, 
the  breeze  steady  and  fresh,  and  the  Dawn  did  her  duty  ad- 
mirably. We  began  to  get  accustomed  to  our  situations,  and 
found  them  less  arduous  than  had  been  apprehended.  The 
direction  of  the  wind  was  so  favorable,  that  it  kept  hope 
alive;  though  we  trebled  our  distance  by  going  round  the 
British  islands,  instead  of  passing  directly  up  Channel. 
Twenty-four  hours  were  necessary  to  carry  us  as  far  north 
as  the  Land's  End,  however;  and  I  determined  to  be  then 
governed  by  circumstances.  Should  the  wind  shift,  we  al- 
ways had  the  direct  route  before  us ;  and  I  had  my  doubts 
whether  putting  a  bold  face  on  the  matter,  running  close  in 
with  the  English  shore,  and  appearing  to  be  bound  for  Lon- 
don, were  not  the  wisest  course.  There  certainly  was  the 
danger  of  the  Speedy 's  telling  our  story,  in  which  case  there 
would  be  a  sharp  lookout  for  us;  while  there  was  the  equal 
chance  that  she  might  speak  nothing  for  a  week.  Eight- 
and-forty  hours  ahead  of  her,  I  should  not  have  feared  much 
from  her  account  of  us. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  303 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  minutely  on  the  events  of  the 
next  few  days.  The  weather  continued  good,  the  wind  fair; 
and  our  progress  was  in  proportion.  We  saw  nothing  until 
we  got  within  two  leagues  of  Scilly  light,  when  we  were 
boarded  by  a  pilot-boat  out  from  those  islands.  This  oc- 
curred at  sunrise,  with  the  wind  light  at  northeast,  and  one 
sail  in  sight  to  windward,  that  had  the  appearance  of  a  brig- 
of-war,  though  she  was  still  hull  down,  and  not  heading  for  us. 

I  saw  that  the  smallness  of  our  crew,  and  the  course  we 
were  steering,  struck  these  pilots,  the  moment  they  had  time 
to  ascertain  the  first  fact.  It  was  not  usual,  in  that  day,  nor 
do  I  suppose  it  is  now,  for  deep-laden  Americans  to  pass  so 
near  England,  coming  from  the  southeast  and  steering  to  the 
northwest.  A  remark  to  this  effect  fell  from  the  mouth  of 
the  principal  pilot,  as  soon  as  I  told  him  I  did  not  wish  to 
go  in  to  any  of  the  neighboring  ports. 

"I  am  short  of  hands,  and  am  desirous  of  obtaining  three 
or  four  good  men,"  I  said,  "who  shall  be  well  paid  for  their 
services,  and  sent  back,  without  cost,  to  the  place  whence 
they  came." 

"  Ay,  I  see  you've  a  small  crew  for  so  stout  a  craft,  mas- 
ter," the  pilot  answered.  "  May  I  ask  what  has  happened 
to  bring  you  down  so  low  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  know  how  it  is  among  your  cruisers,  in  war- 
time— an  English  frigate  carried  away  all  hands,  with  the 
exception  of  these  you  see." 

Now,  this  was  true  to  the  ear,  at  least,  though  I  saw, 
plainly  enough,  that  I  was  not  believed. 

"It's  not  often  his  Majesty's  officers  shave  so  close,"  the 
pilot  answered,  with  a  sort  of  sneer  I  did  not  like.  "  They 
commonly  send  in  hands  with  a  ship,  when  they  find  it  nec- 
essary to  take  her  own  men." 

"Ay,  I  suppose  the  laws  require  this  with  English  ves- 
sels; with  Americans  tbey  are  less  particular;  at  all  events, 
you  see  the  whole  of  us,  and  I  should  be  very  glad  to  get  a 
hand  or  two,  if  possible,  out  of  your  cutter." 


304  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"Where  are  you  bound,  master?  Before  we  ship,  we'd 
like  to  know  the  port  we  sail  for." 

"  Hamburg." 

"Hamburg!  Why,  master,  you're  not  heading  for  Ham- 
burg, at  all,  which  lies  up  the  English^  not  up  the  Irish 
Channel." 

"  I  am  well  aware  of  all  that.  But  I  am  afraid  to  go  into 
the  English  Channel  so  short-handed.  Those  narrow  wa- 
ters give  a  man  trouble,  unless  he  has  a  full  crew." 

"The  Channel  is  a  good  place  to  find  men,  master. 
However,  none  of  us  can  go  with  you,  and  no  words  be 
necessary.  As  you've  no  occasion  for  a  pilot,  we  must  be 
off  a'ter  something  else." 

The  fellow  now  left  me,  without  more  words,  and  I  saw 
there  was  no  use  in  attempting  to  detain  him.  He  had  got 
a  league  from  us,  and  we  were  jogging  on  our  course,  before 
we  discovered  he  was  making  signals  to  the  brig,  which  had 
kept  dead  away,  and  had  set  studding-sails  on  both  sides. 
As  this  was  carrying  much  more  sail  than  we  could  venture 
to  show,  I  thought  our  chance  of  escape  small,  indeed. 
There  was  the  whole  day  before  us,  with  a  light,  and,  doubt- 
less, fast-sailing  cruiser  in  chase  of  a  heavily-loaded  mer- 
chantman. As  a  stern  chase  is,  proverbially,  a  long  chase, 
however,  I  determined  to  do  all  we  could  to  avoid  the  gen- 
tleman. Sail  was  made,  accordingly,  so  far  as  we  dared, 
and  the  ship  was  steered  a  little  off  her  best  mode  of  sail- 
ing in  her  present  trim.  We  saw  the  brig  speak  the  pilot- 
boat,  and,  from  that  moment,  were  certain  her  commander 
had  all  the  conjectures  of  the  Scilly  man  added  to  his  own. 
The  effect  was  soon  to  be  noted,  for  when  the  two  separated, 
the  cutter  stood  in  for  her  own  rocks,  while  the  brig  renewed 
her  chase. 

That  was  an  uneasy  day.  The  man-of-war  gained,  but  it 
was  quite  slowly.  She  might  beat  us  by  a  knot  in  the  hour, 
and,  being  ten  miles  astern,  there  was  still  the  hope  of  its 
falling  dark  before  she  could  close.     The  wind,  too,  was 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  305 

unsteady,  and  toward  noon  it  grew  so  light,  as  to  reduce 
both  vessels  to  only  two  or  three  knots'  way.  Of  course, 
this  greatly  lessened  the  difference  in  our  rate  of  sailing, 
and  I  had  now  strong  hopes  that  night  might  come  before 
our  pursuers  could  close. 

Nor  was  I  disappointed.  The  wind  continued  light  until 
sunset,  when  it  came  out  a  fine  breeze  at  northwest,  bring- 
ing us  dead  to  windward  of  the  brig,  which  was  then  distant 
some  six  miles.  We  got  the  proper  sail  on  the  ship  as  fast 
as  we  could,  though  the  cruiser  was  dashing  ahead  under 
everything  she  could  carry,  long  before  we  could  get  through 
with  the  necessary  work.  When  we  did  get  at  it,  notwith- 
standing, I  found  she  had  not  much  the  advantage  of  us, 
and  now  began  to  entertain  some  hopes  of  shaking  her  off  in 
the  course  of  the  night.  Marble  was  confident  of  it,  and 
his  confidence,  on  points  of  seamanship,  was  always  entitled 
to  respect. 

About  ten,  both  vessels  were  on  the  starboard  tack,  stand- 
ing to  the  southward  and  westward,  or  out  toward  the  broad 
Atlantic,  with  the  brig  about  a  league  under  the  Dawn's 
lee,  and  a  little  forward  of  her  beam.  This  was  the  most 
favorable  position  for  us  to  be  in,  in  order  to  effect  our  pur- 
pose, since  the  cruiser  had  already  passed  her  nearest  point 
to  us,  on  that  tack.  The  horizon  to  windward,  and  all  along 
the  margin  of  the  sea  at  the  northward,  was  covered  with 
clouds,  which  threatened,  by  the  way,  a  capful  of  wind. 
This  dark  background  would  be  likely  to  prevent  our  being 
seen;  and  the  instant  the  night  shut  in  the  outline  of  the 
brig's  canvas,  I  ordered  our  helm  put  down. 

It  was  lively  business,  tacking  such  a  ship  as  the  Dawn, 
under  so  much  canvas,  and  in  such  a  breeze,  with  four  men ! 
The  helm  was  lashed  hard  down,  and  at  it  we  went,  like  so 
many  tigers.  The  after-yards  swung  themselves,  though  the 
maintack  and  sheet  gave  •us  a  good  deal  of  trouble.  We 
braced  everything  aft  sharp  up  before  we  left  it,  having 
first  managed  to  get  the  foreyard  square.  When  this  was 
20 


306  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

done,  we  filled  all  forward,  and  dragged  the  yards  and  bow- 
lines to  their  places  with  a  will  that  seemed  irresistible. 

There  were  no  means  of  knowing  whether  the  brig  came 
round  about  this  time  or  not.  Agreeably  to  the  rule  of 
chasing,  she  should  have  tacked  when  directly  abeam,  un- 
less she  fancied  she  could  eat  us  out  of  the  wind  by  stand- 
ing on.  We  knew  she  did  not  tack  when  directly  abeam, 
but  we  could  not  see  whether  she  came  round  after  us,  or 
not.  At  all  events,  tack  or  not,  she  must  still  be  near  a 
league  under  our  lee,  and  we  drove  on  toward  the  English 
coast  until  the  day  reappeared,  not  a  man  of  us  all  sleeping 
a  wink  that  night.  How  anxiously  we  watched  the  ocean 
astern,  and  to  leeward,  as  the  returning  light  slowly  raised 
the  veil  of  obscurity  from  before  us!  Nothing  was  in  sight, 
even  when  the  sun  appeared,  to  bathe  the  entire  ocean  in  a 
flood  of  glory.  Not  even  a  white  speck  inshore ;  and  as  for 
the  brig,  we  never  saw  or  heard  more  of  her.  Doubtless 
she  stood  on,  on  the  old  course,  hoping  gradually  to  close 
with  us,  or  to  draw  so  far  ahead  and  to  windward,  as  to 
make  certain  of  her  prey  in  the  morning. 

According  to  our  reckoning,  the  ship  was  now  heading 
well  up  toward  the  coast  of  Wales,  which  we  might  expect 
to  make  in  the  course  of  the  next  four-and-twenty  hours, 
should  the  wind  stand.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  make 
the  best  of  the  matter,  and  to  go  directly  up  the  Irish  Chan- 
nel, hoping  to  fall  in  with  some  boat  from  the  north  shore, 
that  might  not  have  as  apt  intellects  on  board  it  as  those  of 
our  Scilly  pilot  had  proved  to  be.  We  stood  on,  conse- 
quently, all  that  day,  and  another  sun  set  without  our  making 
the  land.  We  saw  several  vessels  at  a  distance  in  the  after- 
noon, but  we  were  now  in  a  part  of  the  ocean  where  an  Ameri- 
can ship  would  be  as  little  likely  to  be  disturbed  as  in  any  I 
know.  It  was  the  regular  track  of  vessels  bound  to  Liverpool, 
and  these  last  were  as  little  molested  as  the  want  of  men 
would  at  all  permit.  Could  we  get  past  that  port,  we  should 
then  be  in  the  way  of  picking  up  half  a  dozen  Irishmen. 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  307 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Och !  botheration— 'tis  a  beautiful  coost 

All  made  up  of  rocks  and  deep  bays  : 
Ye  may  sail  up  and  down,  a  marvellous  host, 

And  admire  all  its  beautiful  ways. 

Irish  Song. 

Little  did  we,  or  could  we,  anticipate  all  that  lay  before 
us.  The  wind  held  at  northwest  until  the  ship  had  got 
within  twenty  miles  of  the  Welsh  coast ;  then  it  came  out 
light  again  at  the  southward.  We  were  now  so  near  Liver- 
pool that  I  expected  every  hour  to  make  some  American 
bound  in.  None  was  seen,  notwithstanding,  and  we  stood 
up  channel,  edging  over  toward  the  Irish  coast  at  the  same 
time,  determined  to  work  our  way  to  the  northward  as  well 
as  we  could.  This  sort  of  weather  continued  for  two  days 
and  nights,  during  which  we  managed  to  get  up  as  high  as 
Whitehaven,  when  the  wind  came  dead  ahead,  blowing  a 
stiff  breeze.  I  foresaw  from  the  commencement  of  this  new 
wind,  that  it  would  probably  drive  us  down  channel,  and 
out  into  the  Atlantic  once  more,  unless  we  could  anchor.  I 
thought  I  would  attempt  the  last  somewhere  under  the  Irish 
coast,  in  the  hope  of  getting  some  assistance  from  among 
the  children  of  St.  Patrick.  We  all  knew  that  Irish  sailors, 
half  the  time,  were  not  very  well  trained,  but  anything  that 
could  pull  and  haul  would  be  invaluable  to  us  in  heavy 
weather.  We  had  now  been  more  than  a  week,  four  of  us 
in  all,  working  the  ship,  and  instead  of  being  in  the  least 
fagged,  we  had  rather  got  settled  into  our  places,  as  it  might 
be,  getting  along  without  much  trouble;  still  there  were 
moments  when  a  little  extra  force  would  be  of  great  moment 
to  us,  and  I  could  see  by  the  angry  look  of  the  skies  that 
these  moments  were  likely  to  increase  in  frequency  and  in 
the  magnitude  of  their. importance  to  us. 

The  waters  we  were  in  were  so  narrow  that  it  was  not 
long  before  we  drew  close  in  with  the  Irish  coast.     Here, 


308  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

to  my  great  joy,  we  saw  a  large  fishing-boat,  well  out  in  the 
offing,  and  under  circumstances  that  rendered  it  easy  for 
those  in  it  to  run  close  under  our  lee.  We  made  a  signal, 
therefore,  and  soon  had  the  strangers  lying-to,  in  the  smooth 
water  we  made  for  them,  with  our  own  main-yard  aback. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  we  had  gradually  di- 
minished our  own  canvas,  as  it  became  necessary,  until  the 
ship  was  under  double-reefed  topsails,  the  forecourse,  jib, 
and  spanker.  We  had  brought  the  topsails  down  lower  than 
was  necessary,  in  order  to  anticipate  the  time  when  it  might 
be  indispensable. 

The  first  of  the  men  who  came  on  board  us  was  named 
Terence  O'  something.  His  countenance  was  the  droll 
medley  of  fun,  shrewdness,  and  blundering,  that  is  so  often 
found  in  the  Irish  peasant,  and  which  appears  to  be  char- 
acteristic of  entire  races  in  the  island. 

"  A  fine  marnin',  yer  honor,"  he  began,  with  a  self-posses- 
sion that  nothing  could  disturb,  though  it  was  some  time 
past  noon,  and  the  day  was  anything  but  such  a  one  as  a 
seaman  likes.  "  A  fine  marnin',  yer  honor,  and  as  fine  a 
ship!     Is  it  fish  that  yer  honor  will  be  asking  for?  " 

"  I  will  take  some  of  your  fish,  my  friend,  and  pay  you 
well  for  them." 

"Long  life  to  yees!  " 

"  I  was  about  to  say,  I  will  pay  you  much  better  if  you 
can  show  me  any  lee,  hereabouts,  vyhich  has  good  holding- 
ground,  where  a  ship  might  ride  out  the  gale  that  is 
coming." 

"Shure,  yer  honor! — will  I  not?  Shure,  there's  nivver 
the  lad  on  the  coost  that  knows  betther  what  it  is  yer  honor 
wants,  or  who'll  supply  yees,  with  half  the  good  will." 

"  Of  course  you  know  the  coast ;  probably  were  born  here- 
abouts? " 

"Of  coorse,  is  it?  Whereabouts  should  Terence  O' 
something  be  born,  if  it's  not  hereabouts?  Is  it  know  the 
coost,  too?     Ah!  we're  ould  acquaintances." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  3O9 

"And  where  do  you  intend  to  take  the  ship,  Terence? " 

"It's  houlding-ground  yer  honor  asked  for?  " 

"Certainly.  A  bottom  on  which  an  anchor  will  not 
drag." 

"Och!  is  it  thatl  Well,  all  the  bottom  in  this  counthry 
is  of  that  same  natur\  None  of  it  will  drag,  without  pull- 
ing mighty  hard.     I'll  swear  to  any  part  of  it." 

"You  surely  would  not  think  of  anchoring  a  ship  out 
here,  a  league  from  the  land,  with  nothing  to  break  either 
wind  or  sea,  and  a  gale  commencing?  " 

"I  anchor!  Divil  the  bit  did  I  ever  anchor  a  ship,  or  a 
brig,  or  even  a  cutther.  I've  not  got  so  high  up  as  that,  yer 
honor:  but  yon's  ould  Michael  Sweeney,  now;  many's  the 
anchor  he's  cast  out,  miles  at  a  time,  sayin'  he's  been  a  say- 
man,  and  knows  the  says  from  top  to  bottom.  It's  Michael 
ye'll  want,  and  Michael  ye  shall  have." 

Michael  was  spoken  to,  and  he  clambered  up  out  of  the 
boat,  as  well  as  he  could;  the  task  not  being  very  easy, 
since  the  fishermen  with  difficulty  kept  their  dull,  heavy 
boat  out  of  our  mizzen-chains.  In  the  mean  time.  Marble 
and  I  found  time  to  compare  notes.  We  agreed  that  Mr. 
Terence  McScale,  or  O'  something — for  I  forget  the  fellow's 
surname — would  probably  turn  out  a  more  useful  man  in 
hauling  in  mackerel  and  John  Dorys  than  in  helping  us  to 
take  care  of  the  Dawn.  Nor  did  Michael,  at  the  first 
glance,  promise  anything  much  better.  He  was  very  old — 
eighty,  I  should  think — and  appeared  to  have  nullified]  all 
the  brains  he  ever  had  by  the  constant  use  of  whiskey;  the 
scent  of  which  accompanied  him  with  a  sort  of  parasitical 
odor,  as  that  of  tannin  attends  the  leather-dresser.  He  was 
not  drunk  just  then,  however,  but  seemed  cool  and  collected. 
I  explained  my  wishes  to  this  man;  and  was  glad  to  find  he 
had  a  tolerable  notion  of  nautical  terms,  and  that  he  would 
not  be  likely  to  get  us  into  diflSculty,  like  Terence,  through 
any  ignorance  on  this  score. 

"  Is  it  anchor  ye  would,  yer  honor  ?  "  answered  Michael, 


3IO  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

when  I  had  concluded.  "  Sure,  that's  aisy  enough,  and  the 
saison  is  good  for  that  same;  for  the  wind  is  getting  up  like 
a  giant.  As  for  the  guineas  yer  honor  mintions,  it's  of  no 
avail  atween  fri'nds.  I'll  take  'em,  to  obleege  ye,  if  yer 
honor  so  wills,  but  the  ship  should  be  anchored  if  there 
nivver  was  a  grain  of  goold  in  the  wur-r-r-ld.  Would  ye 
like  a  berth  pratty  well  out,  or  would  yer  honor  choose  to 
go  in  among  the  rocks  and  lie  like  a  babby  in  itscradhle? " 

"  I  should  prefer  a  safe  roadstead,  to  venturing  too  far  in, 
without  a  professed  pilot.  By  the  look  of  the  land  inshore, 
I  should  think  it  would  be  easy  to  find  a  lee  against  this 
wind,  provided  we  can  get  good  holding-ground.  That  is 
the  difficulty  I  most  apprehend." 

"Trust  ould  Ireland  for  that,  yer  honor;  yes,  put  faith  in 
us,  for  that  same.  Ye've  only  to  fill  your  topsail  and  stand 
in;  ould  Michael  and  ould  Ireland  together  will  take  care 
of  yees." 

I  confess  I  greatly  disliked  the  aspect  of  things  inshore 
with  such  a  pilot;  but  the  aspect  of  things  outside  was  still 
worse.  Short-handed  as  we  were,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
keep  the  ship  in  the  channel  should  the  gale  come  on  as 
heavily  as  it  threatened ;  and  a  single  experiment  satisfied 
me,  the  four  men  in  the  boat  would  be  of  very  little  use  in 
working  her;  for  I  never  saw  persons  who  knew  anything  of 
the  water  more  awkward  than  they  turned  out  to  be  on  our 
decks.  Michael  knew  something,  it  is  true;  but  he  was  too 
old  to  turn  his  knowledge  to  much  practical  account,  for 
when  I  sent  him  to  the  wheel  Neb  had  to  remain  there  to 
assist  him  in  steering.  There  was  no  choice,  therefore,  and  I 
determined  to  stand  close  in,  when,  should  not  suitable  berth 
offer,  it  would  always  be  in  our  power  to  ware  offshore. 
The  fishing-boat  was  dropped  astern,  accordingly,  the  men 
were  all  kept  in  the  ship,  and  we  stood  in  nearer  to  the 
coast;  the  Dawn  bending  to  the  blasts,  under  the  sail  we 
carried,  in  a  way  to  render  it  difficult  to  stand  erect  on  her 
decks. 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  3II 

The  coast  promised  well  as  to  formation,  though  there 
was  much  to  apprehend  on  the  subject  of  the  bottom. 
Among  rocks,  an  anchor  is  a  ticklish  thing  to  confide  in,  and 
I  feared  it  might  be  a  difficult  matter  to  find  a  proper  bot- 
tom as  far  out  as  I  deemed  it  prudent  to  remain.  But 
Michael,  and  Terence,  and  Pat,  and  Murphy,  or  whatever 
were  the  names  of  our  protesting  confident  friends,  insisted 
that  "  ould  Ireland "  would  never  fail  us.  Marble  and  I 
stood  on  the  forecastle,  watching  the  formation  of  the  coast, 
and  making  our  comments,  as  the  ship  drove  through  the 
short  seas,  buried  to  her  figurehead.  At  length,  we  thought 
a  headland  that  was  discernible  a  little  under  our  lee-bow 
looked  promising,  and  Michael  was  called  from  the  wheel 
and  questioned  concerning  it.  The  fellow  affirmed  he  knew 
the  place  well,  and  that  the  holding-ground  on  each  side  of 
it  was  excellent,  consenting  at  once  to  a  proposition  of  mine 
to  bring  up  under  its  lee.  We  edged  off,  therefore,  for  this 
point,  making  the  necessary  preparations  for  bringing  up. 

I  was  too  busy  in  getting  in  canvas  to  note  the  progress 
of  the  ship  for  the  next  twenty  minutes.  It  took  all  four  of 
us  to  stow  the  jib,  leaving  Michael  at  the  wheel  the  while. 
And  a  tremendous  job  it  was,  though  (I  say  it  in  humility) 
four  better  men  never  lay  out  on  a  spar  than  those  who  set 
about  the  task  on  this  occasion.  We  got  it  in,  however, 
but,  I  need  scarcely  tell  the  seaman,  it  was  not  "  stowed  in 
the  skin."  Marble  insisted  on  leading  the  party,  and  never 
before  had  I  seen  the  old  fellow  work  as  he  did  on  that 
day.  He  had  a  faculty  of  incorporating  his  body  and  limbs 
with  the  wood  and  ropes,  standing,  as  it  might  be,  on  air, 
working  and  dragging  with  his  arms  and  broad  shoulders, 
in  a  way  that  appeared  to  give  him  just  as  much  command 
of  his  entire  strength  as  another  man  would  possess  on  the 
ground. 

At  length  we  reduced  tlje  canvas  to  the  fore-topmast  stay- 
sail and  main-topsail,  the  latter  double  reefed.  It  was  get- 
ting to  be  time  that  the  last  should  be  close  reefed  (and  we 


312  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

carried  four  reefs  in  the  Dawn),  but  we  hoped  the  cloth 
would  hold  out  until  we  wanted  to  roll  it  up  altogether. 
The  puffs,  however,  began  to  come  gale-fashion,  and  I  fore- 
saw we  should  get  it  presently  in  a  style  that  would  require 
good  looking  to. 

The  ship  soon  drove  within  the  extremity  of  the  head- 
land, the  lead  giving  us  forty  fathoms  of  water.  I  had 
previously  asked  Michael  what  water  we  might  expect,  but 
this  he  frankly  owned  he  could  not  tell.  He  was  certain 
that  ships  sometimes  anchored  there,  but  what  water  they 
found  was  more  than  he  knew.  He  was  no  conjuror,  and 
guessing  might  be  dangerous,  so  he  chose  to  say  nothing 
about  it.  It  was  nervous  work  for  a  shipmaster  to  carry  his 
vessel  on  a  coast  under  such  pilotage  as  this.  I  certainly 
would  have  wore  round  as  it  was,  were  it  not  for  the  fact 
that  there  was  a  clear  sea  to  leeward,  and  that  it  would 
always  be  as  easy  to  run  out  into  the  open  water,  as  the 
wind  was  at  that  moment. 

Marble  and  I  now  began  to  question  our  fisherman  as  to 
the  precise  point  where  he  intended  to  fetch  up.  Michael 
was  bothered,  and  it  was  plain  enough  his  knowledge  was 
of  the  most  general  character.  As  for  the  particulars  of  his 
calling,  he  treated  them  with  the  coolest  indifference.  He 
had  been  much  at  sea  in  his  younger  days,  it  is  true ;  but 
it  was  in  ships-of-war,  where  the  ropes  were  put  into  his 
hands  by  captains  of  the  mast,  and  where  his  superiors  did 
all  the  thinking.  He  could  tell  whether  ships  did  or  did 
not  anchor  near  a  particular  spot,  but  he  knew  no  reason 
for  the  one,  or  for  the  other.  In  a  word,  he  had  just  that 
sort  of  knowledge  of  seamanship  as  one  gets  of  the  world  by 
living  in  a  province,  where  we  all  learn  the  leading  prin- 
ciples of  humanity,  and  trust  to  magazines  and  works  of 
fiction  for  the  finesse  of  life. 

The  lead  proved  a  better  guide  than  Michael,  and  seeing 
some  breakers  inshore  of  us,  I  gave  the  order  to  clew  up 
the  main-topsail,  and  to  luff  to  the  wind,  before  the  ship 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  313 

should  lose  her  way.  Our  Irishmen  pulled  and  hauled  well 
enough  as  soon  as  they  were  directed  what  to  do;  which 
enabled  Marble  and  myself  each  to  stand  by  a  stopper.  We 
had  previously  got  the  two  bowers  a-cockbill  (the  cables 
were  bent  as  soon  as  we  made  the  land) ;  and  nothing  re- 
maiiied  but  to  let  run.  Neb  was  at  the  wheel,  with  orders 
to  spring  to  the  cables  as  soon  as  he  heard  them  running 
out,  and  everything  was  in  readiness.  I  shouted  the  order 
to  "  let  run,"  and  down  both  our  anchors  went  at  the  same 
instant  in  twenty-two  fathoms  of  water.  The  ship  took  cable 
at  a  fearful  rate;  but  Marble  and  Diogenes  being  atone 
bower,  and  Neb  and  I  at  the  other,  we  succeeded  in  snub- 
bing her  with  something  like  twenty  fathoms  within  the 
hawse-holes.  There  was  a  minute,  when  I  thought  the  old 
bark  would  get  away  from  us;  and  when,  by  desperate 
efforts,  we  did  succeed  in  checking  the  mass,  it  seemed  as 
if  she  would  shake  the  windlass  out  of  her.  No  time  was 
lost  in  stoppering  the  cables  and  in  rolling  up  the  main- 
topsail. 

Michael  and  his  companions  now  came  to  wish  us  good 
luck,  get  the  guineas,  and  to  take  their  leave.  The  sea  was 
already  so  rough  that  the  only  mode  that  remained  of  get- 
ting into  their  boat  was  by  dropping  from  the  end  of  the 
spanker-boom.  I  endeavored  to  persuade  two  or  three  of 
these  fellows  to  stick  by  the  ship,  but  in  vain.  They  were 
all  married,  and  they  had  a  certain  protection  against  im- 
pressment in  their  present  manner  of  life;  whereas,  should 
they  be  found  at  large,  some  man-of-war  would  probably 
pick  them  up,  and  Michael's  tales  of  the  past  had  not  given 
them  any  great  zest  for  the  sort  of  life  he  described. 

When  these  Irish  fishermen  left  us  and  ran  inshore,  we 
were  thrown  again  altogether  on  our  own  resources.  I  had 
explained  to  Michael  our  want  of  hands,  however,  attribut- 
ing it  to  accidents  and  impressments,  and  he  thought  he 
could  persuade  four  or  five  young  fellows  to  come  off  as  soon 
as  the  gale  abated,  on  condition  we  would   take  them  to 


314  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

America  after  discharging  at  Hamburg.  These  were  to  be 
mere  peasants,  it  is  true,  for  seamen  were  scarce  in  that  part 
of  the  world,  but  they  would  be  better  than  nothing.  Half 
a  dozen  athletic  young  Irishmen  would  relieve  us  seamen 
from  a  vast  deal  of  the  heavy,  lugging  work  of  the  ship,  and 
leave  us  strength  and  spirits  to  do  that  which  unavoidably 
fell  to  our  share.  With  the  understanding  that  he  was  to 
receive,  himself,  a  guinea  a  head  for  each  sound  man  thus 
brought  us,  we  parted  from  old  Michael,  who  probably  has 
never  piloted  a  ship  since,  as  I  strongly  suspect  he  had 
never  done  before. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

The  power  of  God  is  everywhere, 

Pervades  all  space  and  time  ; 
The  power  of  God  can  still  the  air, 

And  rules  in  every  clime  ; — 
Then  bow  the  heart,  and  bend  the  knee. 
And  worship  o'er  both  land  and  sea. 

Duo. 

I  NEVER  knew  precisely  the  point  on  the  coast  of  Ireland 
where  we  anchored.  It  was  somewhere  between  Strangford 
and  Dundrum  Bay,  though  the  name  of  the  headland  which 
gave  us  a  sort  of  protection  I  did  not  learn.  In  this  part 
of  the  island  the  coast  trends  north  and  south  generally, 
though  at  the  place  where  we  anchored  its  direction  was 
nearly  from  north-northeast  to  south-southwest,  which,  in 
the  early  part  of  the  gale,  was  as  close  as  might  be  the 
course  in  which  the  wind  blew.  At  the  moment  we  brought 
up,  the  wind  had  hauled  a  little  farther  to  the  northward, 
giving  us  a  oetter  lee;  but,  to  my  great  regret,  Michael  had 
scarcely  left  us  when  it  shifted  to  due  northeast,  making  a 
fair  rake  of  the  channel.  This  left  us  very  little  of  a  lee— 
the  point  ahead  of  us  being  no  great  matter,  and  we  barely 
within  it.  I  consulted  such  maps  as  I  had,  and  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  we  were  off  the  county  Down,  a  part  of  the 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  315 

kingdom  that  was  at  least  civilized,  and  where  we  should 
be  apt  to  receive  good  treatment  in  the  event  of  being 
wrecked.  Our  fishermen  told  us  that  they  belonged  to  a 
Bally-something,  but  what  the  something  was  I  have  for- 
gotten, if  I  ever  understood  them.  "  Told  us,"  I  say  out  of 
complaisance,  but  ^^  tould^^  would  be  the  better  word,  as  all 
they  uttered  savored  so  much  of  the  brogue  that  it  was  not 
always  easy  to  get  at  their  meaning. 

It  was  past  noon  when  the  Dawn  anchored,  and  the  wind 
got  more  to  the  eastward  about  half  an  hour  afterward.  It 
was  out  of  the  question  to  think  of  getting  under  way  again, 
with  so  strong  a  wind  and  with  our  feeble  crew.  Had  it 
been  perfectly  smooth  water,  and  had  there  been  neither 
tide  nor  air,  it  would  have  taken  us  half  a  day,  at  least,  to 
get  our  two  bowers.  It  was  folly,  therefore,  to  think  of  it, 
situated  as  we  were.  It  only  remained  to  ride  out  the  gale 
in  the  best  manner  we  could. 

Nothing  occurred  for  several  hours  except  that  the  gale 
increased  sensibly  in  violence.  Like  an  active  disease,  it 
was  fast  coming  to  a  crisis.  Toward  sunset,  however,  a 
little  incident  took  place  that  gave  me  great  uneasiness  of 
itself,  though  I  had  forebodings  of  evil  from  the  commence- 
ment of  that  tempest.  Two  sail  appeared  in  sight  to  wind- 
ward, being  quite  near  us,  close  in  with  the  Irish  coast,  be- 
fore either  was  observed  on  board  the  Dawn.  The  leading 
vessel  of  the  two  was  a  man-of-war  cutter,  running  nearly 
before  it,  under  a  close-reefed  square-sail — canvas  so  low  that 
it  might  easily  be  confounded  with  the  foam  of  the  sea  at  a 
little  distance.  She  rounded  the  headland,  and  was  edging 
away  from  the  coast,  apparently  for  sea-room,  when  she  took 
a  sudden  sheer  in  our  direction.  As  if  curious  to  ascertain 
what  could  have  taken  so  large  a  square-rigged  vessel  as  the 
Dawn  into  her  present  berth,  this  cutter  actually  ran  athwart 
our  hawse,  passing  in»ide  of  us  at  a  distance  of  some  fifty 
yards.  We  were  examined;  but  no  attempt  was  made  to 
speak  us.     I  felt  no  uneasiness  at  the  proximity  of  these 


3l6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

two  cruisers,  for  I  knew  a  boat  could  not  live — our  ship 
fairly  pitching  her  martingale  into  the  water  at  her  anchors. 

The  frigate  followed  the  cutter,  though  she  passed  us  out- 
side, even  nearer  than  her  consort.  I  got  my  first  accurate 
notion  of  the  weight  of  the  gale  by  seeing  this  large  ship 
drive  past  us,  under  a  reefed  foresail  and  a  close-reefed 
main-topsail,  running  nearly  dead  before  it.  As  she  came 
down,  she  took  a  sheer,  like  a  vessel  scudding  in  the  open 
ocean;  and,  at  one  moment,  I  feared  she  would  plunge 
directly  into  us,  though  she  minded  her  helm  in  time  to 
clear  everything.  A  dozen  officers  on  board  her  were  look- 
ing at  us  from  her  gangway,  her  quarter-deck  guns,  and 
rigging.  All  were  compelled  to  hold  on  with  firm  grasps; 
and  wonder  seemed  painted  in  every  countenance.  I  could 
see  their  features  for  half  a  minute  only,  or  even  a  less 
time;  but  I  could  discern  this  expression  in  each  face. 
Some  looked  up  at  our  spars,  as  if  to  ascertain  whether  all 
were  right;  while  others  looked  back  at  the  headland  they 
had  just  rounded,  like  those  who  examined  the  roadstead. 
Most  shook  their  heads  as  remarks  passed  from  one  to  the 
other.  The  captain,  as  I  took  him  to  be,  spoke  us.  "What 
are  you  doing  here?  "  came  to  me  through  a  trumpet  plainly 
enough ;  but  answering  was  out  of  the  question.  Before  I 
could  even  get  a  trumpet  to  my  mouth  the  frigate  had  gone 
foaming  by  and  was  already  beyond  the  reach  of  the  voice. 
Heads  appeared  over  her  taffrail  for  some  time,  and  we 
fancied  these  man-of-war's-men  regarded  us  as  the  instructed 
are  apt  to  regard  the  ignorant,  whom  they  fancy  to  be  in 
danger.  Marble  sneered  a  little  at  the  curiosity  betrayed 
by  these  two  crafts;  but,  as  for  myself,  it  caused  great  un- 
easiness. I  fancied  they  acted  like  those  who  were  ac- 
quainted with  the  coast,  manifesting  surprise  at  seeing  a 
stranger  anchored  in  the  berth  we  occupied. 

I  slept  little  that  night.  Marble  kept  me  company  most 
of  the  time,  but  Neb  and  Diogenes  were  as  tranquil  as  if 
sleeping   on   good   French   mattresses — made  of   hair,  not 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  317 

down — within  the  walls  of  a  citadel.  Little  disturbed  these 
negroes,  who  followed  our  fortunes  with  the  implicit  re- 
liance that  habit  and  education  had  bred  in  them,  as  it  might 
be,  in  and  in.  In  this  particular  they  were  literally  dyed 
in  the  wool,  to  use  one  of  the  shop  expressions  so  common 
among  us. 

There  was  a  little  relaxation  in  the  force  of  the  gale  in 
the  middle  of  the  night;  but,  with  the  return  of  day,  came 
the  winds  howling  down  upon  us  in  a  way  that  announced 
a  more  than  common  storm.  All  hands  of  us  were  now  up 
and  paying  every  attention  to  the  vessel.  My  greatest  con- 
cern had  been  lest  some  of  the  sails  should  get  adrift,  for 
they  had  been  furled  by  few  and  fatigued  men.  This  did 
not  happen,  however,  our  gaskets  and  lashings  doing  all  of 
their  duty.  We  got  our  breakfasts,  therefore,  in  the  or- 
dinary way,  and  Marble  and  myself  went  and  stood  on  the 
forecastle,  to  watch  the  signs  of  the  times,  like  faithful 
guardians,  who  were  anxious  to  get  as  near  as  possible  to 
the  danger. 

It  was  wonderful  how  the  ship  pitched!  Frequently  her 
Aurora  was  completely  submerged,  and  tons  of  water  would 
come  in  upon  the  forecastle,  washing  entirely  aft  at  the  next 
send,  so  that  our  only  means  of  keeping  above  water  was  to 
stand  on  the  windlass-bitts,  or  to  get  upon  the  heart  of  the 
main-stay.  Dry  we  were  not,  nor  did  we  think  of  attempt- 
ing to  be  so,  but  such  expedients  were  necessary  to  enable 
us  to  remain  stationary;  often  to  enable  us  to  breathe.  I 
no  longer  wondered  at  the  manner  in  which  the  cutter  and 
frigate  had  examined  our  positions.  It  was  quite  clear  the 
fishermen  knew  very  little  about  finding  a  proper  berth  for 
a  ship,  and  that  we  might  pretty  nearly  as  well  have 
brought  up  in  the  middle  of  St.  George's  Channel,  could 
our  ground-tackle  reach  the  bottom,  as  to  have  brought  up 
where  we  were. 

Just  about  nine  o'clock.  Marble  and  I  had  got  near  each 
other  on  the  fife-rail  and  held  a  consultation  on  the  subject 


3l8  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

of  our  prospects.  Although  we  both  clung  to  the  same  top- 
sail-sheet, we  were  obliged  to  halloo  to  make  ourselves 
heard,  the  howling  of  the  wind  through  the  rigging  convert- 
ing the  hamper  into  a  sort  of  tremendous  Eolian  harp,  while 
the  roar  of  the  water  kept  up  a  species  of  bass  accompani- 
ment to  this  music  of  the  ocean.  Marble  was  the  one  who 
had  brought  about  this  communication,  and  he  was  the  first 
to  speak. 

"  I  say,  Miles,"  he  called  out,  his  mouth  within  three  feet 
of  my  ear,  "  she  jumps  about  like  a  whale  with  a  harpoon 
in  it!     I've  been  afraid  she'd  jerk  the  stem  out  of  her." 

**  Not  much  fear  of  that,  Moses — my  great  concern  is  that 
starboard  bower  cable;  it  has  a  good  deal  more  strain  on  it 
than  the  larboard,  and  you  can  see  how  the  strands  are 
stretched." 

"  Ay,  ay,  'tis  generalizing  its  strength,  as  one  may  say. 
S'pose  we  clap  the  helm  a-port  and  try  the  effects  of  a 
sheer." 

"  I've  thought  of  that ;  as  there  is  a  strong  tide  going,  it 
may  possibly  answer " 

These  words  were  scarcely  out  of  my  mouth  when  three 
seas  of  enormous  height  came  rolling  down  upon  us,  like 
three  great  roystering  companions  in  a  crowd  of  sullen  men, 
the  first  of  which  raised  the  Dawn's  bows  so  high  in  the  air 
as  to  cause  us  both  to  watch  the  result  in  breathless  silence. 
The  plunge  into  the  trough  was  in  a  just  proportion  to  the 
toss  into  the  air;  and  I  felt  a  surge,  as  if  something  gave 
way  under  the  violent  strain  that  succeeded.  The  torrent  of 
water  that  came  on  the  forecastle  prevented  anything  from 
being  seen ;  but  again  the  bows  rose,  again  they  sunk,  and 
then  the  ship  seemed  easier. 

"  We  are  all  adrift,  Miles!  "  Marble  shouted,  leaning  for- 
ward to  be  heard.  "  Both  bowers  have  snapped  like  thread, 
and  here  we  go,  head-foremost,  in  for  the  land!  " 

All  this  was  true  enough !  The  cables  had  parted,  and 
the  ship's  head  was  falling  off  fast  from  the  gale,  like  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  319 

Steed  that  has  slipped  his  bridle,  before  he  commences  his 
furious  and  headlong  career.  I  looked  round  for  the 
negroes ;  but  Neb  was  already  at  the  wheel.  That  noble 
fellow,  true  as  steel,  had  perceived  the  accident  as  soon  as 
any  of  us,  and  he  sprang  to  the  very  part  of  the  vessel  where 
he  was  most  needed.  He  had  a  seaman's  faculties  in  per- 
fection, though  ratiocination  was  certainly  not  his  forte.  A 
motion  of  my  hand  ordered  him  to  put  the  helm  hard  up, 
and  the  answering  sign  let  me  know  that  I  was  obeyed.  We 
could  do  no  more  just  then,  but  the  result  was  awaited  in 
awful  expectation. 

The  Dawn's  bows  fell  off  until  the  ship  lay  broadside  to 
the  gale,  which  made  her  reel  until  her  lee  lower  yard-arms 
nearly  dipped.  Then  she  overcame  the  cauldron  of  water 
that  was  boiling  around  her,  and  began  to  draw  heavily 
ahead.  Three  seas  swept  athwart  her  decks  before  she 
minded  her  helm  in  the  least,  carrying  with  them  every- 
thing that  was  not  most  firmly  lashed,  or  which  had  not 
animal  life  to  direct  its  movements,  away  to  leeward.  They 
swept  off  the  hen-coops,  and  ripped  four  or  five  water-casks 
from  their  lashings,  even  as  if  the  latter  had  been  pack- 
thread. The  caboose-house  went  also  at  the  last  of  these 
terrific  seas;  and  nothing  saved  the  caboose  itself  but  its 
great  weight,  added  to  the  strength  of  its  fastenings.  In  a 
word,  little  was  left  that  could  very  well  go  but  the  launch, 
the  gripes  of  which  fortunately  held  on. 

By  the  time  this  desolation  was  completed  the  ship  began 
to  fall  off,  and  her  movement  through  the  water  became  very 
perceptible.  At  first  she  dashed  in  toward  the  land,  run- 
ning, I  make  no  doubt,  quite  half  a  mile  obliquely  in  that 
direction,  ere  she  got  fairly  before  the  wind — a  course  which 
carried  her  nearly  in  a  line  with  the  coast.  Marble  and 
myself  now  got  aft  without  much  trouble,  and  put  the 
helm  a  little  to  starboard,  with  a  view  to  edge  off  to  the 
passage  as  far  as  possible.  The  wind  blew  so  nearly  down 
channel  that  there  would  have  been  no  immediate  danger 


320  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

had  we  an  offing;  but  the  ship  had  not  driven  before  the 
gale  more  than  three  or  four  hours  when  we  made  land 
ahead;  the  coast  trending  in  this  part  of  the  island  nearly 
north  and  south.  Marble  suggested  the  prudence  of  taking 
time  by  the  forelock  and  of  getting  the  main-topsail  on  the 
ship,  to  force  her  off  the  land,  the  coast  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Dublin  lying  under  our  lee-bow.  We  had  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  close  reef  everything  before  it  was  furled,  and  I 
went  aloft  myself  to  lower  this  sail.  If  I  had  formed  a  very 
respectful  opinion  of  the  power  of  the  gale  while  on  deck, 
that  opinion  was  materially  heightened  when  I  came  to  feel 
its  gusts  on  the  main-topsail-yard.  It  was  not  an  easy 
matter  to  hold  on  at  all;  and  to  work  required  great  readi- 
ness and  strength.  Nevertheless,  I  got  the  sail  loose,  and 
then  I  went  down  and  aided  Marble  and  the  cook  to  drag 
home  the  sheets.  Home  they  could  not  be  dragged  by  us, 
notwithstanding  we  got  up  a  luff;  but  we  made  the  sail 
stand  reasonably  well. 

The  ship  immediately  felt  the  effect  of  even  this  rag  of 
canvas.  She  drove  ahead  at  a  prodigious  rate,  running,  I 
make  no  question,  some  eleven  or  twelve  knots,  under  the 
united  power  collected  by  her  hamper  and  this  one  frag- 
ment of  a  sail.  Her  drift  was  unavoidably  great,  and  I 
thought  the  current  sucked  her  in  toward  the  land;  but,  on 
the  whole,  she  kept  at  about  the  same  distance  from  the 
shore,  foaming  along  it,  much  as  we  had  seen  the  frigate  do 
the  day  before.  At  the  rate  we  were  going,  twelve  or  fifteen 
hours  would  carry  us  down  to  the  passage  between  Holyhead 
and  Ireland,  when  we  should  get  more  sea-room,  on  account 
of  the  land's  trending  again  to  the  westward. 

Long,  long  hours  did  Marble  and  I  watch  the  progress  of 
our  ship  that  day  and  the  succeeding  night,  each  of  us  tak- 
ing our  tricks  at  the  wheel,  and  doing  seaman's  duty,  as 
well  as  that  of  mate  and  master.  All  this  time  the  vessel 
was  dashing  furiously  out  toward  the  Atlantic,  which  she 
reached  ere  the  morning  of  the  succeeding  day.     Just  before 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  321 

the  light  returned  we  were  whirled  past  a  large  ship  that 
was  lying-to  under  a  single  storm-staysail,  and  which  I  rec- 
ognized as  the  frigate  that  had  taken  a  look  at  us  at  our 
anchorage.  The  cutter  was  close  at  hand,  and  the  fearful 
manner  in  which  these  two  strong-handed  vessels  pitched 
and  lurched  gave  me  some  idea  of  what  must  be  our  situa- 
tion should  we  be  compelled  to  luff  to  the  wind.  I  sup- 
posed they  had  done  so  in  order  to  keep  as  long  as  pos- 
sible on  their  cruising  ground,  near  the  chops  of  the  Irish 
Channel. 

A  wild  scene  lay  around  us  at  the  return  of  light.  The 
Atlantic  resembled  a  chaos  of  waters,  the  portions  of  the 
rolling  sheet  that  were  not  white  with  foam  looking  green 
and  angry.  The  clouds  hid  the  sun,  and  the  gale  seemed  to 
be  fast  coming  to  its  height.  At  ten  we  drove  past  an 
American,  with  nothing  standing  but  his  foremast.  Like 
us,  he  was  running  off,  though  we  went  three  feet  to  his  two. 
Half  an  hour  later  we  had  the  awful  sight  before  our  eyes 
of  witnessing  the  sudden  disappearance  of  an  English  brig. 
She  was  lying-to,  directly  on  our  course,  and  I  was  looking 
at  her  from  the  windlass,  trying  to  form  some  opinion  as  to 
the  expediency  of  our  luffing-to,  in  order  to  hold  our  own. 
Of  a  sudden,  this  brig  gave  a  plunge,  and  she  went  down 
like  a  porpoise  diving.  What  caused  this  disaster  I  never 
knew;  but  in  five  minutes  we  passed  as  near  as  possible 
over  the  spot,  and  not  a  trace  of  her  was  to  be  seen.  I 
could  not  discover  so  much  as  a  handspike  floating,  though 
I  looked  with  intense  anxiety,  in  the  hope  of  picking  up 
some  fellow-creature  clinging  to  a  spar.  As  for  stopping  to 
examine,  one  who  did  not  understand  the  language  might  as 
well  hope  to  read  the  German  character  on  a  milestone 
while  flying  past  it  in  a  railroad  car. 

At  noon,  precisely,  away  went  our  foretopsail  out  of  the 
gaskets.  One  fastening  sijapped  after  another,  until  the 
whole  sail  was  adrift.  The  tugs  that  this  large  sheet  of 
canvas  gave  upon  the  spars,  as  it  shook  in  the  wind,  threat- 

91 


322  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

ened  to  jerk  the  foremast  out  of  the  ship.  They  lasted 
about  three  minutes,  when,  after  a  report  almost  as  loud  as 
that  of  a  small  piece  of  ordnance,  the  sail  split  in  ribbons. 
Ten  minutes  later  our  main-topsail  went.  This  sail  left  us 
it  might  be  bodily,  and  I  actually  thought  that  a  gun  of  dis- 
tress was  fired  near  us  by  some  vessel  that  was  unseen.  The 
bolt-rope  was  left  set;  the  sheets,  earings,  and  reef  points 
all  holding  on,  the  cloth  tearing  at  a  single  rent  around  the 
four  sides  of  the  sail.  The  scene  that  followed  I  scarcely 
know  how  to  describe.  The  torn  part  of  the  main-topsail 
flew  forward  and  caught  in  the  after  part  of  the  foretop, 
where  it  stood  spread,  as  one  might  say,  held  by  the  top, 
cat-harpins,  rigging,  and  other  obstacles.  This  was  the 
feather  to  break  the  camel's  back.  Bolt  after  bolt  of  the 
fore-rigging  drew  or  broke,  each  parting  with  a  loud  report, 
and  away  went  everything  belonging  to  the  foremast  over 
the  bows  from  the  deck  up.  The  main-topmast  was  dragged 
down  by  this  fearful  pull,  and  that  brought  the  mizzen-top- 
gallant-mast  after  it.  The  pitching  of  so  much  hamper 
under  the  bows  of  the  ship,  while  her  after-masts  stood, 
threw  the  stern  round,  in  spite  of  the  manner  in  which 
Marble  steered;  and  the  ship  broached-to.  In  doing  this, 
the  sea  made  a  fair  breach  over  her,  sweeping  the  deck  of 
even  the  launch  and  caboose,  and  carrying  all  the  lee  bul- 
warks in  the  waist  with  them.  Neb  was  in  the  launch  at 
the  time  hunting  for  some  article  kept  there;  and  the  last  I 
saw  of  the  poor  fellow  he  was  standing  erect  in  the  bows  of 
the  boat,  as  the  latter  drove  over  the  vessel's  side,  on  the 
summit  of  a  wave,  like  a  bubble  floating  in  a  furious  cur- 
rent. Diogenes,  it  seems,  had  that  moment  gone  to  his 
caboose  to  look  after  the  plain  dinner  he  was  trying  to  boil, 
when  probably  seizing  the  iron  as  the  most  solid  object 
near  him,  he  was  carried  overboard  with  it,  and  never  reap- 
peared. Marble  was  in  a  tolerably  safe  part  of  the  vessel, 
at  the  wheel,  and  he  kept  his  feet,  though  the  water  rose 
above  his  waist;  as  high,  indeed,  as  his  arms.     As  for  my- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  323 

self,  I  was  saved  only  by  the  main-rigging,  into  which  I  was 
driven,  and  where  I  lodged. 

I  could  not  but  admire  the  coolness  and  conduct  of 
Marble  even  at  that  terrific  moment !  In  the  first  place,  he 
put  the  helm  hard  down,  and  lashed  the  wheel,  the  wisest 
thing  that  could  be  done  by  men  in  our  situation.  This  he 
did  by  means  of  that  nautical  instinct  which  enables  a  sea- 
man to  act,  in  the  direst  emergencies,  almost  without  reflec- 
tion, or  as  one  closes  his  eyes  to  avoid  danger  to  the  pupils. 
Then  he  gave  one  glance  at  the  state  of  things  inboard, 
running  forward  with  the  end  of  a  rope  to  throw  to  Diogenes 
should  the  cook  rise  near  the  ship.  By  the  time  he  was 
satisfied  the  hope  of  doing  anything  in  that  way  was  vain,  I 
was  on  deck,  and  we  two  stood  facing  each  other  in  the  midst 
of  the  scene  of  desolation  and  ruin  that  was  around  us. 
Marble  caught  my  hand  with  a  look  that  spoke  as  plainly 
as  words.  It  told  me  the  joy  he  felt  at  seeing  I  was  spared, 
his  determination  to  stick  by  me  to  the  last;  yet,  how  low 
were  his  hopes  of  ultimate  preservation!  It  was  such  a 
look  as  any  man  would  be  glad  to  receive  from  a  comrade 
in  the  heat  of  battle ;  nevertheless,  it  was  not  a  look  that 
promised  victory. 

The  situation  of  the  ship  would  now  have  been  much  bet- 
ter than  it  had  been  in  many  respects  were  it  not  for  the 
wreck.  All  the  masts  forward  had  gone  over  the  lee-bow, 
and  would  have  lain  in  a  sufficiently  favorable  situation  for 
a  strong  crew  to  get  rid  of  them ;  but  in  our  case  we  were 
compelled  to  let  things  take  their  course.  It  is  true,  we 
could  cut  away,  and  this  we  began  to  do  pretty  freely,  but 
the  lower  end  of  the  foremast  lay  on  the  forecastle,  where  it 
was  grinding  everything  near  it  to  pieces  with  the  heaving 
and  setting  of  the  waves.  All  the  bulwarks  in  that  part  of 
the  ship  threatened  soon  to  be  beaten  down,  and  I  felt  afraid 
the  cathead  would  be  torn  vio4ently  out  of  the  ship,  leaving 
a  bad  leak.  Leaks  enough  there  were  as  it  was;  the  launch, 
caboose,  water-casks,  and  spare  spars,  in  driving  overboard, 


324  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

having  forced  out  timber-heads,  and  other  supports  in  a  way 
to  split  the  plank  sheer,  which  let  in  the  water  fast  every 
time  the  lee  gunwale  went  under.  I  gave  up  my  sugars  and 
coffees  from  the  first,  bringing  my  hopes  down  as  low  as  the 
saving  of  the  ship,  the  instant  I  saw  the  state  of  the  upper 
works. 

Marble  and  I  had  not  been  educated  in  a  school  that  is 
apt  to  despair.  As  for  my  mate,  had  he  found  himself  on  a 
plank  in  the  middle  of  thCiAtlantic,  I  do  believe  he  would 
have  set  about  rigging  a  jury-mast,  by  splitting  off  a  piece 
of  the  hull  of  his  craft  and  spreading  his  shirt  by  way  of 
sail.  I  rtever  knew  a  more  in-and-in-bred  seaman,  who, 
when  one  resource  failed,  invariably  set  about  the  next  best 
visible  expedient.  We  were  at  a  loss,  however,  whether  to 
make  an  effort  to  get  rid  of  the  foremast  or  not.  With  the 
exception  of  the  damages  it  did  on  the  forecastle,  it  was  of 
use  to  us,  keeping  the  ship's  bow  up  to  the  wind,  and  mak- 
ing better  weather  for  us  on  deck.  The  after-masts  stand- 
ing, while  those  forward  were  gone,  had  the  effect  to  press 
the  stern  of  the  vessel  to  leeward,  while  this  support  in  the 
water  prevented  her  bows  from  falling  off,  and  we  rode 
much  nearer  to  the  wind  than  is  usual  with  a  ship  that  is 
lying-to.  It  is  true,  the  outer  end  of  the  fallen  spars  began 
to  drive  to  leeward;  and,  acting  as  a  long  lever,  they  were 
gradually  working  the  broken  end  of  the  foremast  athwart 
the  forecastle,  ripping  and  tearing  away  everything  on  the 
gunwale  and  threatening  the  foot  of  the  main-stay.  This 
made  it  desirable  to  be  rid  of  the  wreck,  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  there  was  the  danger  of  the  ship's  bottom  beating 
against  the  end  of  the  mast,  did  the  latter  get  overboard. 
Under  all  these  circumstances,  however,  we  determined  to 
cut  as  much  of  the  gear  as  possible  and  let  the  fallen  spars 
work  themselves  clear  of  us  if  they  could. 

Our  job  was  by  no  means  easy.  It  was  difficult  to  stand 
even  on  the  deck  of  the  Dawn  in  a  time  like  that,  and  this 
difficulty  was  greatly  increased  forward  by  having  so  little 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  325 

to  hold  on  by.  But  work  we  did,  and  in  a  way  that  cleared 
most  of  the  rigging  from  the  ship  in  the  course  of  the  next 
half  hour.  We  were  encouraged  by  the  appearances  of  the 
weather  too,  the  gale  having  broken,  and  promising  to  abate. 
The  ship  grew  a  little  easier,  I  thought,  and  we  moved  about 
with  more  confidence  of  not  being  washed  away  by  the  seas 
that  came  on  board  us.  After  a  time,  we  took  some  refresh- 
ments, eating  the  remains  of  a  former  meal,  and  cheered  our 
hearts  a  little  with  a  glass  or  two  of  good  sherry.  Temper- 
ance may  be  very  useful,  but  so  is  a  glass  of  good  wine, 
when  properly  used.  Then  we  went  at  it  again,  working 
with  a  will  and  with  spirit.  The  wreck  aft  wanted  very 
little  to  carry  it  over  the  side,  and  going  aloft  with  an  axe, 
I  watched  my  opportunity,  cut  one  or  two  of  the  shrouds 
and  stays,  just  as  the  ship  lurched  heavily  to  leeward,  and 
got  rid  of  the  whole  in  the  sea  handsomely,  without  further 
injury  to  the  ship.  This  was  a  good  deliverance,  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  spars  had  threshed  about  having  menaced 
our  lives  before.  We  now  attacked  the  wreck  forward,  for 
the  last  time,  feeling  certain  we  should  get  it  adrift  could 
we  sever  the  connection  formed  by  one  or  two  of  the  larger 
ropes.  The  lee-shrouds  in  particular  gave  us  trouble,  it 
being  impossible  to  get  at  them  in-board,  the  fore-channels 
being  half  the  time  under  water,  and  the  bulwarks  in  their 
wake  being  all  gone.  It  was,  in  fact  impossible  to  stand 
there  to  work  long  enough  to  clear  or  cut  all  the  lanyards. 
Marble  was  an  adventurous  fellow  aloft  on  all  occasons, 
and  seeing  good  footing  about  the  top,  without  saying  a 
word  to  me,  he  seized  an  axe,  and  literally  ran  out  on  the 
mast,  where  he  began  to  cut  the  collars  of  the  rigging  at  the 
mast-head.  This  was  soon  done,  but  the  spars  were  no 
sooner  clear  than,  impelled  by  a  wave  that  nearly  drowned 
the  mate,  the  end  of  the  foremast  slid  off  the  forecastle  into 
the  sea,  leaving  the  ship  ^^irtually  clear  of  the  wreck,  but 
my  mate  adrift  on  the  last;  I  say  virtually  clear,  for  the 
lee  fore-topsail-brace  still  remained  fast  to  the  ship  by  some 


326  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

oversight  in  clearing  away  the  smaller  ropes.  The  effect  of 
this  restraint  was  to  cause  the  whole  body  of  the  wreck  to 
swing  slowly  round,  until  it  rode  by  this  rope  alone. 

Here  was  a  new  and  a  most  serious  state  of  things!  I 
knew  that  my  mate  would  do  all  that  man  could  perform, 
situated  as  he  was,  but  what  man  could  swim  against  such 
a  sea,  even  the  short  distance  that  interposed  between  the 
spars  and  the  ship?  The  point  of  the  wreck  nearest  the 
vessel  was  the  end  of  the  topsail-yard,  to  which  the  brace 
led,  and  this  was  raised  from  the  water  by  the  strain  (the 
other  end  of  the  brace  leading  aloft)  fathoms  at  a  time,  ren- 
dering it  extremely  difficult  for  Marble  to  reach  the  rope, 
by  means  of  which  I  could  now  see,  notwithstanding  all  the 
difficulties,  he  hoped  to  regain  the  vessel.  The  voice  could 
be  heard  by  one  directly  to  leeward,  the  howling  of  the 
winds  and  the  roar  of  the  waters  having  materially  lessened 
within  the  last  few  hours.  I  shouted  to  Marble,  therefore, 
my  intentions. 

"  Stand  by  to  get  the  brace  as  I  ease  it  off  in-board,"  I 
cried;  "then  you  will  be  safe!  " 

The  mate  understood  me,  giving  a  gesture  of  assent  with 
his  arm.  When  both  were  ready,  I  eased  off  the  rope  sud- 
denly, and  Marble,  partly  by  crawling  and  partly  by  floating 
and  dragging  himself  by  the  hands,  actually  got  to  the  yard- 
arm,  which  was  immediately  raised  from  the  water,  however, 
by  the  drift  made  by  the  spars,  while  he  was  achieving  his 
object.  I  trembled  as  I  saw  this  stout  seaman,  the  water 
dripping  from  his  clothes,  thus  elevated  in  the  air,  with  the 
angry  billows  rolling  beneath  him,  like  lions  leaping  up- 
ward to  catch  the  adventurer  in  their  grasp.  Marble^s  hand 
was  actually  extended  to  reach  the  brace,  when  its  block 
gave  way  with  the  strain.  The  eye  of  the  strap  slipping 
from  the  yard,  down  went  the  spar  into  the  water.  Next  the 
trough  of  the  sea  hid  everything  from  my  sight,  and  I  was 
left  in  the  most  painful  doubt  of  the  result,  when  I  perceived 
the  mate  lashing  himself  to  the  top,  as  the  portion  of  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  32/ 

wreck  that  floated  the  most  buoyantly.  He  had  managed  to 
get  in  again,  and  coolly  went  to  work  to  secure  himself  in 
the  best  berth  he  could  find,  the  instant  he  regained  the 
main  mass  of  the  wreck.  As  he  rose  on  the  crest  of  the  sea, 
the  poor  fellow  made  a  gesture  of  adieu  to  me,  the  leave- 
taking  of  the  mariner! 

In  this  manner  did  it  please  divine  Providence  to  separate 
us  four,  who  had  already  gone  through  so  much  in  company ! 
With  what  moody  melancholy  did  I  watch  the  wreck  as  it 
slowly  drifted  from  the  ship.  I  no  longer  thought  of  mak- 
ing further  efforts  to  save  the  Dawn,  and  I  can  truly  say, 
that  scarce  a  thought  in  connection  with  my  own  life  crossed 
my  mind.  There  I  stood  for  quite  an  hour,  leaning  against 
the  foot  of  the  mizzenmast,  with  folded  arms  and  riveted 
eyes,  regardless  of  the  pitches,  and  lurches,  and  rolling  of 
the  ship,  with  all  my  faculties  and  thought  fastened  on  the 
form  of  Marble,  expecting  each  time  that  the  top  rose  to 
view  to  find  it  empty.  He  was  too  securely  lashed,  how- 
ever, to  strike  adrift,  though  he  was  nearly  half  the  time 
under  water.  It  was  impossible  to  do  anything  to  save  him. 
No  boat  was  left;  had  there  been  one,  it  could  not  have 
lived,  nor  could  I  have  managed  it  alone.  Spars  he  had 
already,  but  what  must  become  of  him  without  food  or 
water?  I  threw  two  breakers  of  the  last  into  the  sea,  and  a 
box  of  bread,  in  a  sort  of  idle  hope  they  might  drift  down 
near  the  wreck,  and  help  to  prolong  the  sufferer's  life. 
They  were  all  tossed  about  in  the  cauldron  of  the  ocean, 
and  disappeared  to  leeward,  I  knew  not  whither.  When 
Marble  was  no  longer  visible  from  deck,  I  went  into  the 
main-top  and  watched  the  mass  of  spars  and  rigging,  so 
long  as  any  portion  of  it  could  be  seen.  Then  I  set  it  by 
compass,  in  order  to  know  its  bearing,  and  an  hour  before 
the  sun  went  down,  or  as  soon  as  the  diminished  power  of 
the  wind  would  permit,  I  showed  an  ensign  aloft,  as  a  signal 
that  I  bore  my  mate  in  mind. 

"  He  knows  I  will  not  desert  him  as  long  as  there  is  hope 


328  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

— SO  long  as  I  have  life!"  I  muttered  to  myself;  and  this 
thought  was  a  relief  to  my  mind  in  that  bitter  moment. 

Bitter  moment,  truly!  Time  has  scarcely  lessened  the 
keenness  of  the  sensations  I  endured  as  memory  traces  the 
feelings  and  incidents  of  that  day.  From  the  hour  when  I 
sailed  from  home,  Lucy's  image  was  seldom  absent  from  my 
imagination  ten  minutes  at  a  time;  I  thought  of  her,  sleep- 
ing and  waking;  in  all  my  troubles;  the  interest  of  the  sea- 
fight  I  had  seen  could  not  prevent  this  recurrnece  of  my 
ideas  to  their  polar  star,  their  powerful  magnet;  but  I  do 
not  remember  to  have  thought  of  Lucy  even  once  after 
Marble  was  thus  carried  away  from  my  side.  Neb,  too, 
with  his  patient  servitude,  his  virtues,  his  faults,  his  daunt- 
less courage,  his  unbounded  devotion  to  myself,  had  taken 
a  strong  hold  on  my  heart,  and  his  loss  had  greatly  troubled 
me  since  the  time  it  occurred.  But  I  remember  to  have 
thought  much  of  Lucy,  even  after  Neb  was  swept  away, 
though  her  image  became  temporarily  lost  to  my  mind  dur- 
ing the  first  few  hours  I  was  thus  separated  from  Marble. 

By  the  time  the  sun  set,  the  wind  had  so  far  abated,  and 
the  sea  had  gone  down  so  much  as  to  remove  all  further 
apprehensions  from  the  gale.  The  ship  lay-to  easily,  and 
I  had  no  occasion  to  give  myself  any  trouble  on  her  account. 
Had  there  been  light,  I  should  now  have  put  the  helm  up 
and  run  to  leeward,  in  the  hope  of  finding  the  spars,  and  at 
least  of  keeping  near  Marble ;  but  fearful  of  passing  him  in 
the  darkness,  I  deferred  that  duty  until  the  morning.  All  I 
could  do  was  to  watch  the  weather  in  order  to  make  this 
effort  before  the  wind  should  shift. 

What  a  night  I  passed !  As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  I  sounded 
the  pumps,  and  found  six  feet  of  water  in  the  hold.  It  was 
idle  for  one  man  to  attempt  clearing  a  vessel  of  the  Dawn's 
size ;  and  I  gave  myself  no  further  thought  in  the  matter. 
So  much  injury  had  been  done  the  upper  works  of  the  ship 
that  I  had  a  sort  of  conviction  she  must  go  down,  unless 
fallen  in  with  by  some  other  craft.     I  cannot  say  apprehen- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  329 

sion  for  my  own  fate  troubled  me  any,  or  that  I  thought  of 
the  ruin  to  my  fortunes  that  was  involved  in  the  loss  of  the 
ship.  My  mind  reverted  constantly  to  my  companions; 
could  I  have  recovered  them,  I  should  have  been  happy,  for 
a  time  at  least. 

I  slept  two  or  three  hours  toward  morning,  overcome  with 
fatigue.  When  I  awoke,  it  was  in  consequence  of  receiving 
the  sun's  rays  in  my  face.  Springing  to  my  feet,  I  cast  a 
confused  and  hurried  glance  around  me.  The  wind  was 
still  at  northeast,  but  it  barely  blew  a  good  whole-sail 
breeze.  The  sea  had  gone  down  to  the  regular  roll  of  the 
ocean ;  and  a  finer  day  never  shone  upon  the  Atlantic.  I 
hurried  eagerly  on  deck  and  gazed  on  the  ocean  to  leeward 
with  longing  eyes,  to  ascertain  if  anything  could  be  seen  of 
the  wreck  of  our  spars.  Nothing  was  visible.  From  the 
main-top  I  could  command  a  pretty  wide  horizon;  but  the 
ocean  lay  a  bright,  glittering  blank,  the  crests  of  its  own 
waves  excepted.  I  felt  certain  the  Dawn  was  so  weatherly 
that  the  spars  were  to  leeward;  but  the  ship  must  have 
forged  miles  ahead  during  the  last  twelve  hours;  and  there 
was  almost  the  equal  certainty  of  her  being  a  long  distance 
to  the  southward  of  the  floating  hamper,  her  head  having 
lain  in  that  direction  since  the  time  she  broached-to.  To 
get  her  off  before  the  wind,  then,  was  my  first  concern,  after 
which  I  could  endeavor  to  force  her  to  the  northward,  run- 
ning the  chance  of  falling  in  with  the  spars.  Could  I  find 
my  mate,  we  might  still  die  together,  which  would  have 
been  a  melancholy  consolation  just  then. 


330 


MILES    WALLINGFORD. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Father  of  all !    In  every  age, 

In  every  clime,  adored  ; 
By  saint,  by  savage,  or  by  sage — 

Jehovah  !  Jove !  or  Lord ! 

Pope. 


Feeling  the  necessity  of  possessing  all  my  strength,  I 
ate  a  breakfast  before  I  commenced  work.  It  was  with  a 
heavy  heart  and  but  little  appetite  that  I  took  this  solitary 
meal ;  but  I  felt  that  its  effects  were  good.  When  finished, 
I  knelt  on  the  deck,  and  prayed  to  God,  fervently,  asking 
his  divine  assistance  in  my  extremity.  Why  should  an  old 
man,  whose  race  is  nearly  run,  hesitate  to  own,  that  in  the 
pride  of  his  youth  and  strength  he  was  made  to  feel  how  in- 
sufficient we  all  are  for  our  wants  ?  Yes,  I  prayed ;  and  I 
hope  in  a  fitting  spirit,  for  I  felt  that  this  spiritual  susten- 
ance did  me  more  good  than  the  material  of  which  I  had 
just  before  partaken.  When  I  rose  from  my  knees,  it  was 
with  a  sense  of  hope  that  I  endeavored  to  suppress  a  little, 
as  both  unreasonable  and  dangerous.  Perhaps  the  spirit  of 
my  sainted  sister  was  permitted  to  look  down  on  me  in  that 
awful  strait,  and  to  offer  up  its  own  pure  petitions  in  behalf 
of  a  brother  she  had  so  warmly  loved.  I  began  to  feel  my- 
self less  alone,  and  the  work  advanced  the  better  from  this 
mysterious  sort  of  consciousness  of  the  presence  of  the  souls 
of  those  who  had  felt  an  interest  in  me  while  in  the  body. 

My  first  measure  was  to  lead  the  jib-stay,  which  had  parted 
near  the  head  of  its  own  mast,  to  the  head  of  the  mainmast. 
This  I  did  by  bending  on  a  piece  of  another  rope.  I  then 
got  up  the  halyards  and  loosened  and  set  the  jib;  a  job 
that  consumed  quite  two  hours.  Of  course,  this  sail  did  not 
set  very  well,  but  it  was  the  only  mode  I  had  of  getting  for- 
ward canvas  on  the  ship  at  all.  As  soon  as  the  jib  was  set 
in  this  imperfect  manner,  I  put  the  helm  up,  and  got  the 
ship  before  the  wind.     I  then  hauled  out  the  spanker  and 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  33 1 

gave  it  sheet.  By  these  means,  aided  by  the  action  of  the 
breeze  on  the  hull  and  spars,  I  succeeded  in  getting  some- 
thing like  three  knots'  way  on  the  ship,  keeping  off  a  little 
northerly,  in  which  direction  I  felt  sensible  it  was  neces- 
sary to  proceed  in  quest  of  the  spars.  I  estimated  the  drift 
of  the  wreck  at  a  knot  an  hour,  including  the  good  and 
moderate  weather;  and,  allowing  for  that  of  the  ship  itself, 
I  supposed  it  must  be,  by  that  time,  some  twelve  miles  to 
leeward  of  me.  These  twelve  miles  I  managed  to  run  by 
noon,  when  I  hauled  up  sufficiently  to  bring  the  wind  abeam, 
heading  northwardly.  As  the  ship  would  now  steer  herself, 
that  is  as  small  as  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  go,  I  collected 
some  food,  took  a  glass,  and  went  up  into  the  main-top  to 
dine  and  to  examine  the  ocean. 

The  anxious,  anxious  hours  I  passed  in  that  top!  Not  an 
object  of  any  sort  appeared  on  the  surface  of  the  wide  ocean. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  birds  and  the  fishes  had  abandoned  me 
to  my  loneliness.  I  watched  and  examined  the  surrounding 
sea,  until  my  hands  were  tired  with  holding  the  glass,  and  my 
eyes  became  weary  with  their  office.  Fortunately,  the  breeze 
stood,  though  the  sea  went  down  fast,  giving  me  every  op- 
portunity I  could  desire  of  effecting  my  object.  The  ship 
yawed  about  a  good  deal,  it  is  true,  but  on  the  whole  she 
made  a  very  tolerable  course.  I  could  see  by  the  water 
that  she  had  a  motion  of  about  two  knots  for  most  of  the 
time,  though,  as  the  day  advanced,  the  wind  began  to  fall, 
and  her  rate  of  going  diminished  quite  one  half. 

At  length,  after  passing  hours  aloft,  I  went  below  to  look 
after  things  there.  On  sounding  the  pumps  I  found  ten  feet 
water  in  the  hold,  though  the  upper  works  were  now  not  at 
all  submerged,  and  the  motion  of  the  vessel  was  very  easy. 
That  the  Dawn  was  gradually  sinking  under  me  was  a  fact 
too  evident  to  be  denied;  and  all  the  concerns  of  this  life 
began  to  narrow  into  a  cirtle  of  some  four-and-twenty  hours. 
That  time  the  ship  would  probably  float,  possibly  a  little 
longer  should  the  weather  continue  moderate.     The  wind 


332  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

was  decreasing  still,  and,  thinking  I  might  have  a  tranquil 
night,  I  determined  to  pass  that  time  in  preparing  for  the 
last  great  change.  I  had  no  will  to  make — little  to  leave, 
indeed,  after  my  vessel  was  gone ;  for  the  debt  due  to  John 
Wallingford  would  go  far  toward  absorbing  all  my  property. 
When  his  $40,000  were  paid  under  a  forced  sale,  little,  in- 
deed, would  be  the  residue. 

The  state  of  things  would  have  been  somewhat  different 
under  a  fair  sale,  perhaps,  but  a  forced  sale  would  probably 
sweep  away  everything.  It  is  true  my  creditor  was  my  heir; 
for,  a  legacy  to  Lucy  and  a  few  bequests  to  my  slaves  ex- 
cepted, I  had  fairly  bequeathed  all  I  owned  to  my  cousin. 
As  for  the  blacks  themselves,  under  the  new  policy  of  New 
York,  they  would  soon  be  free ;  and  I  had  no  other  interest 
in  their  fate  than  that  of  habit  and  affection. 

But  why  speak  of  property  in  the  situation  in  which  I  was 
placed?  Had  I  owned  the  whole  of  Ulster  county,  my 
wishes,  or  any  new  will  I  might  make,  must  die  with  me. 
The  ocean  would  soon  engulf  the  whole.  Had  I  no  desire 
to  make  an  effort  to  save  myself,  or  at  least  to  prolong  my 
existence,  by  means  of  a  raft? — of  boat  there  was  none  in 
the  ship.  The  English  had  the  yawl,  and  the  launch  had 
been  driven  away.  The  spare  spars  were  swept  overboard, 
as  well  as  all  the  water-casks  that  had  been  lashed  on  deck. 
I  might  have  done  something  with  the  hatches  and  mizzen- 
topmast,  possibly,  could  I  have  gotten  the  last  into  the 
water,  but  the  expedient  was  so  desperate  it  did  not  hold 
out  any  hopes  to  be  encouraged.  Even  the  handspikes  had 
gone  in  the  launch,  and  two  of  the  buoys  had  been  left  with 
the  anchors  on  the  Irish  coast.  Under  all  the  circum- 
stances, it  appeared  to  me  that  it  would  be  more  manly  and 
resigned  to  meet  my  fate  at  once  than  to  attempt  any  such 
feeble  projects  to  prolong  existence  for  a  few  hours.  I 
came  to  the  resolution,  therefore,  to  go  down  in  my  ship. 

What  was  there  to  make  life  particularly  dear  to  me  ^  My 
home,  my  much-beloved  Clawbonny,  must  go  at  all  events; 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  333 

and  I  will  own  that  a  feeling  of  bitter  distrust  crossed  my 
mind  as  I  thought  of  these  things,  and  that  I  began  to  fancy 
John  Wallingford  might  have  urged  me  to  borrow  his  money, 
expressly  to  obtain  a  chance  of  seizing  an  estate  that  was 
so  much  prized  by  every  Wallingford.  I  suppressed  this 
feeling,  however,  and  in  a  clear  voice  I  asked  my  cousin's 
pardon,  the  same  as  if  he  had  been  within  hearing.  Of 
Lucy,  I  had  no  longer  any  hope;  Grace  was  already  in 
heaven;  and  the  world  contained  few  that  cared  for  me. 
After  Mr.  Hardinge,  Lucy  always  excepted,  I  now  loved 
Marble  and  Neb  the  most,  and  these  two  were  probably  both 
dead,  or  doomed,  like  myself.  We  must  all  yield  up  our 
lives  once;  and  though  my  hour  came  rather  early,  it  should 
be  met  as  a  man  meets  everything,  even  to  death  itself. 

Some  time  before  the  sun  set,  I  went  aloft  to  take  a  last 
look  at  the  ocean.  I  do  not  think  any  desire  to  prolong  my 
existence  carried  me  up  the  mast,  but  there  was  a  lingering 
wish  to  look  after  my  mate.  The  ocean  beamed  gloriously 
that  eventide,  and  I  fancied  that  it  was  faintly  reflecting  the 
gracious  countenance  of  its  divine  Creator,  in  a  smile  of 
beneficent  love.  I  felt  my  heart  soften,  as  I  gazed  around 
me,  and  I  fancied  heavenly  music  was  singing  the  praises 
of  God  on  the  face  of  the  great  deep.  Then  I  knelt  in  the 
top  and  prayed. 

Rising,  I  looked  at  the  ocean,  as  I  supposed,  for  the  last 
time.  Not  a  sail  was  anywhere  to  be  seen.  I  cannot  say 
that  I  felt  disappointed — I  did  not  expect  relief  from  that 
quarter.  My  object  was  to  find  my  mate,  that  we  might  die 
together.  Slowly  I  raised  the  glass,  and  the  horizon  was 
swept  with  deliberation.  Nothing  appeared.  I  had  shut 
the  glass,  and  was  about  to  sling  it,  when  my  eye  caught 
the  appearance  of  something  floating  on  the  surface  of  the 
ocean,  within  a  mile  of  the  ship  well  to  leeward,  and  ahead. 
I  had  overlooked  it,  in  Consequence  of  ranging  above  it 
with  the  glass,  in  the  desire  to  sweep  the  horizon.  I  could 
not  be  mistaken ;  it  was  the  wreck.     In  a  moment  the  glass 


334  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

was  levelled,  and  I  assured  myself  of  the  fact.  The  top  was 
plainly  visible,  floating  quite  high  above  the  surface,  and 
portions  of  the  yards  and  masts  were  occasionally  seen,  as 
the  undulations  of  the  ocean  left  them  bare.  I  saw  an  ob- 
ject, lying  motionless  across  the  top-rim,  which  I  supposed 
to  be  Marble.     He  was  either  dead  or  asleep. 

What  a  revulsion  of  feeling  came  over  me  at  this  sight! 
A  minute  before,  and  I  was  completely  isolated;  cut  off 
from  the  rest  of  my  species,  and  resigned  to  a  fate  that 
seemed  to  command  my  quitting  this  state  of  being,  without 
further  communion  with  mankind.  Everything  was  changed. 
Here  was  the  companion  of  so  many  former  dangers,  the 
man  who  had  taught  me  my  profession,  one  that  I  can  truly 
say  I  loved,  quite  near  me,  and  possibly  dying  for  the  want 
of  that  aid  which  I  might  render!  I  was  on  deck  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye ;  the  sheets  were  eased  off,  and  the  helm 
put  up.  Obedient  to  my  wishes,  the  ship  fell  off,  and  I 
soon  got  a  glimpse,  from  the  spot  where  I  stood,  at  the  wheel, 
of  the  wreck  a  little  clear  of  the  weather  cathead.  By  this 
time,  the  wind  was  so  light,  and  the  ship  had  got  to  be  so 
deep  in  the  water,  that  the  motion  of  the  last  was  very  slow. 
Even  with  the  helm  up,  it  scarce  equalled  half  a  knot;  I 
began  to  fear  I  should  not  be  able  to  reach  my  goal,  after 
alH 

There  were  now  intervals  of  dead  calm ;  then  the  air  would 
return  in  little  puffs,  urging  the  great  mass  heavily  onward. 
I  whistled,  I  prayed,  I  called  aloud  for  wind ;  in  short,  I 
adopted  all  the  expedients  known,  from  that  of  the  most 
vulgar  nautical  superstition,  up  to  profound  petitions  to  the 
Father  of  Mercies.  I  presume  all  this  brought  no  change, 
though  the  passage  of  time  did.  About  half  an  hour  before 
the  sun  dipped  into  the  ocean,  the  ship  was  within  a  hun- 
dred yards  of  the  wreck.  This  I  could  ascertain  by  stolen 
glances,  for  the  direction  I  was  now  compelled  to  steer 
placed  the  forward  part  of  the  ship  between  me  and  my  ob- 
ject, and  I  did  not  dare  quit  the  wheel  to  go  forward,  lest  I 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  335 

should  miss  it  altogether.  I  had  prepared  a  grapnel,  by 
placing  a  small  kedge  in  the  lee-waist,  with  a  hawser  bent, 
and,  could  I  come  within  a  few  feet  of  the  floating  hamper, 
I  felt  confident  of  being  able  to  hook  into  something.  It 
appeared  to  me,  now,  as  if  the  ship  absolutely  refused  to 
move.  Go  ahead  she  did,  notwithstanding,  though  it  was 
only  her  own  length  in  five  or  six  minutes.  My  hasty  glances 
told  me  that  two  more  of  these  lengths  would  effect  my  pur- 
pose. I  scarce  breathed,  lest  the  vessel  should  not  be  steered 
with  sufficient  accuracy.  It  was  strange  to  me  that  Marble 
did  not  hail,  and,  fancying  him  asleep,  I  shouted  with  all 
my  energy,  in  order  to  arouse  him.  "  What  a  joyful  sound 
that  will  be  in  his  ears/'  I  thought  to  myself,  though  to  me, 
my  own  voice  seemed  unearthly  and  alarming.  No  answer 
came.  Then  I  felt  a  slight  shock,  as  if  the  cut -water  had 
hit  something,  and  a  low  scraping  sound  against  the  copper 
announced  that  the  ship  had  hit  the  wreck.  Quitting  the 
wheel,  I  sprang  into  the  waist,  raising  the  kedge  in  my 
arms.  Then  came  the  upper  spars  wheeling  strongly  round, 
under  the  pressure  of  the  vessel's  bottom  against  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  lower  mast.  I  saw  nothing  but  the  great  maze 
of  hamper  and  wreck,  and  could  scarcely  breathe  in  the 
anxiety  not  to  miss  my  aim.  There  was  much  reason  to  fear 
the  whole  mass  would  float  aft,  leaving  me  no  chance  of 
throwing  the  kedge,  for  the  smaller  masts  no  longer  inclined 
in,  and  I  could  see  that  the  ship  and  wreck  were  slowly  sep- 
arating. A  low  thump  on  the  bottom,  directly  beneath  me, 
drew  my  head  over  the  side,  and  I  found  the  fore-yard,  as 
it  might  be,  a-cockbill,  with  one  end  actually  scraping  along 
the  ship's  bottom.  It  was  the  only  chance  I  had,  or  was 
likely  to  have,  and  I  threw  the  kedge  athwart  it.  Luckily, 
the  hawser,  as  it  tautened,  brought  a  fluke  directly  under  the 
yard,  within  the  Flemish  horse,  the  brace-block,  and  all  the 
other  ropes  that  are  fitted*to  a  lower  yard-arm.  So  slow  was 
the  motion  of  the  ship,  that  my  grapnel  held,  and  the  entire 
body  of  the  wreck  began  to  yield  to  the  pressure.     I  now 


336  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

jumped  to  the  jib  halyards  and  down-haul,  getting  that  sail 
reduced;  then  I  half-brailed  the  spanker;  this  was  done 
lest  my  hold  on  the  yard  should  give  way. 

I  can  say,  that  up  to  this  instant,  I  had  not  even  looked 
for  Marble.  So  intense  had  been  my  apprehensions  of  miss- 
ing the  wreck,  that  I  thought  of  nothing  else,  could  see  noth- 
ing else.  Satisfied,  however,  that  my  fast  would  hold,  I  ran 
forward  to  look  down  on  the  top,  that  the  strain  of  the  haw- 
ser had  brought  directly  under  the  very  bow,  over  which  it 
had  fallen.  It  was  empty!  The  object  I  had  mistaken  for 
Marble,  dead  or  asleep,  was  a  part  of  the  bunt  of  the  main- 
topsail,  that  had  been  hauled  down  over  the  top-rim,  and 
secured  there,  either  to  form  a  sort  of  shelter  against  the 
breaking  seas,  or  a  bed.  Whatever  may  have  been  the 
intention  of  this  nest,  it  no  longer  had  an  occupant.  Mar- 
ble had  probably  been  washed  away,  in  one  of  his  adven- 
turous efforts  to  make  himself  more  secure  or  more  comfort- 
able. 

The  disappointment  that  came  over  me,  as  I  ascertained 
this  fact,  was  scarcely  less  painful  than  the  anguish  I  had 
felt  when  I  first  saw  my  mate  carried  off  into  the  ocean. 
There  would  have  been  a  melancholy  satisfaction  in  finding 
his  body,  that  we  might  have  gone  to  the  bottom  together, 
at  least,  and  thus  have  slept  in  a  common  grave,  in  the 
depths  of  that  ocean  over  which  we  had  sailed  so  many 
thousands  of  leagues  in  company.  I  went  and  threw  myself 
on  the  deck,  regardless  of  my  own  fate,  and  wept  in  very 
bitterness  of  heart.  I  had  arranged  a  mattress  on  the  quar- 
ter-deck, and  it  was  on  that  I  now  threw  myself.  Fatigue 
overcame  me,  in  the  end,  and  I  fell  into  a  deep  sleep.  As 
my  recollection  left  me,  my  last  thought  was  that  I  should 
go  down  with  the  ship,  as  I  lay  there.  So  complete  was  the 
triumph  of  nature,  that  I  did  not  even  dream.  I  do  not  re- 
member ever  to  have  enjoyed  more  profound  and  refreshing 
slumbers;  slumbers  that  continued  until  returning  light 
awoke  me.     To  that  night's  rest  I  am  probably  indebted, 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  337 

under  God,  for  having  the  means  of  relating  these  adven- 
tures. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  the  night  had  been 
tranquil;  otherwise,  a  seaman's  ears  would  have  given  him 
the  alarm.  When  I  arose,  I  found  the  ocean  glittering  like 
a  mirror,  with  no  other  motion  than  that  which  has  so  often 
been  likened  to  the  slumbering  respiration  of  some  huge 
animal.  The  wreck  was  thumping  against  the  ship's  bot- 
tom, announcing  its  presence,  before  I  left  the  mattress. 
Of  wind  there  was  literally  not  a  breath.  Once  in  a  while, 
the  ship  would  seem  to  come  up  to  breathe,  as  a  heavy 
ground-swell  rolled  along  her  sides,  and  the  wash  of  the 
element  told  the  circumstance  of  such  a  visit;  else,  all  was 
as  still  as  the  ocean  in  its  infancy.  I  knelt  again,  and 
prayed  to  that  dread  Being,  with  whom,  it  now  appeared  to 
me,  I  stood  alone,  in  the  centre  of  the  universe. 

Down  to  the  moment  when  I  arose  from  my  knees,  the 
thought  of  making  an  effort  to  save  myself,  or  to  try  to  pro- 
long existence  a  few  hours,  by  means  of  the  wreck,  did  not 
occur  to  me.  But  when  I  came  to  look  about  me,  to  note 
the  tranquil  condition  of  the  ocean,  and  to  heed  the  chances, 
small  as  they  were,  that  offered,  the  love  of  life  was  renewed 
within  me,  and  I  seriously  set  about  the  measures  necessary 
to  such  an  end. 

The  first  step  was  to  sound  the  pumps  anew.  The  water 
had  not  gained  in  the  night  as  rapidly  as  it  had  gained 
throughout  the  preceding  day.  But  it  had  gained;  there 
being  three  feet  more  of  it  than  when  I  last  sounded — the 
infallible  evidence  of  the  existence  of  a  leak  that  no  means 
of  mine  could  stop.  It  was,  then,  hopeless  to  think  of  sav- 
ing the  ship.  She  had  settled  in  the  water,  already,  so  as 
to  bring  the  lower  bolts  of  both  fore  and  main-channels 
awash;  and  I  supposed  she  might  float  for  four-and-twenty 
hours  longer,  unless  an  iirjury  that  I  had  discovered  under 
the  larboard  cathead,  and  which  had  been  received  from  the 
wreck,  should  sooner  get  under  water.     It  appeared  to  me 

22 


338  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

that  a  butt  had  been  started  there ;  such  a  leak  would  cer- 
tainly hasten  the  fate  of  the  vessel  by  some  hours,  should  it 
come  fairly  into  the  account. 

Having  made  this  calculation  as  to  the  time  I  had  to  do 
it  in,  I  set  seriously  about  the  job  of  making  provisions  with 
my  raft.  In  one  or  two  particulars,  I  could  not  much  im- 
prove the  latter ;  for,  the  yards  lying  underneath  the  masts, 
it  rendered  the  last  as  buoyant  as  was  desirable  in  moderate 
weather.  It  struck  me,  however,  that  by  getting  the  topgal- 
lant and  royal-masts,  with  their  yards,  in,  around  the  top,  I 
might  rig  a  staging,  with  the  aid  of  the  hatches,  that  would 
not  only  keep  me  entirely  out  of  water,  in  mild  weather,  but 
which  would  contain  all  one  man  could  consume,  in  the  way 
of  victuals  and  drink,  for  a  month  to  come.  To  this  object, 
then,  I  next  gave  my  attention. 

I  had  no  great  difficulty  in  getting  the  spars  I  have  men- 
tioned, loose,  and  in  hauling  them  alongside  of  the  top.  It 
was  a  job  that  required  time  rather  than  strength;  for  my 
movements  were  greatly  facilitated  by  the  presence  of  the 
topmast-rigging,  which  remained  in  its  place,  almost  as  taut 
as  when  upright.  The  other  rigging  I  cut,  and  having  got 
out  the  fids  of  the  two  masts,  one  at  a  time,  I  pushed  the 
spars  through  their  respective  caps  with  a  foot.  Of  course, 
I  was  obliged  to  get  into  the  water  to  work;  but  I  had 
thrown  aside  most  of  my  clothes  for  the  occasion,  and  the 
weather  being  warm,  I  felt  greatly  refreshed  with  my  bath. 
In  two  hours'  time  I  had  my  topgallant-mast  and  yard  well 
secured  to  the  top-rim  and  the  caps,  having  sawed  them  in 
pieces  for  the  purpose.  The  fastenings  were  both  spikes 
and  lashings,  the  carpenter's  stores  furnishing  plenty  of  the 
former,  as  well  as  all  sorts  of  tools. 

This  part  of  the  arrangement  completed,  I  ate  a  hearty 
breakfast,  when  I  began  to  secure  the  hatches,  as  a  sort  of 
floor,  on  my  primitive  joists.  This  was  not  difficult,  the 
hatches  being  long,  and  the  rings  enabling  me  to  lash  them, 
as  well  as  to  spike  them.     Long  before  the  sun  had  reached 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  339 

the  meridian,  I  had  a  stout  little  platform,  that  was  quite 
eighteen  inches  above  the  water,  and  which  was  surrounded 
by  a  species  of  low  ridge-ropes,  so  placed  as  to  keep  articles 
from  readily  tumbling  off  it.  The  next  measure  was  to  cut 
all  the  sails  from  the  yards,  and  to  cut  loose  all  the  rigging 
and  iron  that  did  not  serve  to  keep  the  wreck  together.  The 
reader  can  easily  imagine  how  much  more  buoyancy  I  ob- 
tained by  these  expedients.  The  foresail  alone  weighed 
much  more  than  I  did  myself,  with  all  the  stores  I  might 
have  occasion  to  put  on  my  platform.  As  for  the  fore-topsail, 
there  was  little  of  it  left,  the  canvas  having  mostly  blown 
from  the  yard  before  the  mast  went. 

My  raft  was  completed  by  the  time  I  felt  the  want  of  din- 
ner; and  a  very  good  raft  it  was.  The  platform  was  about 
ten  feet  square,  and  it  now  floated  quite  two  feet  clear  of  the 
water.  This  was  not  much  for  a  sea;  but  after  the  late  vio- 
lent gale,  I  had  some  reason  to  expect  a  continuation  of 
comparatively  good  weather.  I  should  not  have  been  a  true 
seaman  not  to  have  bethought  me  of  a  mast  and  a  sail.  I 
saved  the  fore-royal-mast,  and  the  yard,  with  its  canvas,  for 
such  a  purpose;  determining  to  rig  them  when  I  had  noth- 
ing else  to  do.  I  then  ate  my  dinner,  which  consisted  of 
the  remnants  of  the  old  cold  meat  and  fowls  I  could  find 
among  the  cabin  eatables. 

This  meal  taken,  the  duty  that  came  next  was  to  provision 
my  raft.  It  took  but  little  time  or  labor.  The  cabin  stores 
were  quite  accessible;  and  a  bag  of  pilot-bread,  another  of 
that  peculiarly  American  invention,  called  crackers,  some 
smoked  beef,  a  case  of  liquors,  and  two  breakers  of  water, 
formed  my  principal  stock.  To  this  I  added  a  pot  of  but- 
ter, with  some  capital  smoked  herrings,  and  some  anchovies. 
We  lived  well  in  the  cabin  of  the  Dawn,  and  there  was  no 
difficulty  in  making  all  the  provision  that  six  or  eight  men 
would  have  needed  for  alnonth.  Perceiving  that  the  raft, 
now  it  was  relieved  from  the  weight  of  the  sails  and  rigging, 
was  not  much  affected  by  the  stores,  I  began  to  look  about 


340  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

me  in  quest  of  anything  valuable  I  might  wish  to  save. 
The  preparations  I  had  been  making  created  a  sort  of  confi- 
dence in  their  success;  a  confidence  (hope  might  be  the  bet- 
ter word)  that  was  as  natural,  perhaps,  as  it  was  unreason- 
able. I  examined  the  different  objects  that  offered,  with  a 
critical  comparison  of  their  value  and  future  usefulness,  that 
would  have  been  absurd,  had  it  not  afforded  a  melancholy 
proof  of  the  tenacity  of  our  desires  in  matters  of  this  nature. 
It  is  certainly  a  sad  thing  to  abandon  a  ship  at  sea,  with  all 
her  appliances,  and  with  a  knowledge  of  the  gold  that  she 
cost.  The  Dawn,  with  her  cargo,  must  have  stood  me  in 
eighty  thousand  dollars,  or  even  more;  and  here  was  I  about 
to  quit  her,  out  on  the  ocean,  with  an  almost  moral  cer- 
tainty that  not  a  cent  of  the  money  could  be,  or  would  be, 
recovered  from  the  insurers.  These  last  only  took  risks 
against  the  accidents  of  the  ocean,  fire  included;  and  there 
was  a  legal  obligation  on  the  insured  to  see  that  the  vessel 
was  properly  found  and  manned.  It  was  my  own  opinion 
that  no  accident  would  have  occurred  to  the  ship,  in  the  late 
gale,  had  the  full  crew  been  on  board;  and  that  the  ship 
was  not  sufficiently  manned  was,  in  a  legal  sense,  my  own 
fault.  I  was  bound  to  let  the  English  carry  her  into  port, 
and  to  await  judgment — the  law  supposing  that  justice 
would  have  been  done  in  the  premises.  The  law  might  have 
been  greatly  mistaken  in  this  respect;  but  the  potentates 
never  acknowledge  their  blunders.  If  I  was  wronged  in  the 
detention,  the  law  presumed  suitable  damages.  It  is  true, 
I  might  be  ruined  by  the  delay,  through  the  debts  left  be- 
hind me;  but  the  law,  with  all  its  purity,  cared  nothing  for 
that.  Could  I  have  shown  a  loss  by  means  of  a  falling 
market,  I  might  have  obtained  redress,  provided  the  court 
chose  to  award  it,  and  provided  the  party  did  not  appeal; 
or,  if  he  did,  that  the  subsequent  decisions  supported  the 
first;  and  provided — all  the  decrees  being  in  my  favor — 
my  Lord  Harry  Dermond  could  have  paid  a  few  thousands 
in  damages;  a  problem  to  be  solved  in  itself. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  34 1 

I  always  carried  to  sea  with  me  a  handsome  chest,  that  I 
had  bought  in  one  of  my  earlier  voyages,  and  which  usually 
contained  my  money,  clothes,  and  other  valuables.  This 
chest  I  managed  to  get  on  deck,  by  the  aid  of  a  purchase, 
and  over  the  ship's  side,  on  the  raft.  It  was  much  the  most 
troublesome  task  I  had  undertaken.  To  this  I  added  my 
writing-desk,  a  mattress,  two  or  three  counterpanes,  and  a 
few  other  light  articles,  which  it  struck  me  might  be  of  use 
— but  which  I  could  cast  into  the  sea  at  any  moment,  should 
it  become  necessary.  When  all  this  was  done,  I  conceived 
that  my  useful  preparations  were  closed. 

It  was  near  night,  and  I  felt  sufficiently  fatigued  to  lie 
down  and  sleep.  The  water  had  gained  very  slowly  during 
the  last  few  hours,  but  the  ship  was  now  swimming  so  low, 
that  I  thought  it  unsafe  to  remain  in  the  vessel,  while  asleep. 
I  determined,  therefore,  to  take  my  leave  of  her,  and  go  on 
the  raft  for  that  purpose.  It  struck  me,  too,  it  might  be  un- 
safe to  be  too  near  the  vessel  when  she  went  down,  and  I 
had  barely  time  to  get  the  spars  a  short  distance  from  the 
ship,  before  darkness  would  come.  Still,  I  was  unwilling 
to  abandon  the  Dawn  altogether,  since  the  spars  that  stood 
on  board  her  would  always  be  a  more  available  signal  to 
any  passing  vessel,  than  the  low  sail  I  could  set  on  the  raft. 
Should  she  float  during  the  succeeding  day  they  would  in 
crease  the  chances  of  a  rescue  and  they  offered  an  advantage 
not  to  be  lightly  thrown  away. 

To  force  the  spars  away  from  the  ship  was  not  an  easy 
task  of  itself.  There  is  an  attraction  in  matter,  that  is 
known  to  bring  vessels  nearer  together  in  calms,  and  I  had 
this  principle  of  nature  first  to  overcome;  then  to  neutralize 
it,  without  the  adequate  means  of  doing  either.  Still  I  was 
very  strong,  and  possessed  all  the  resources  of  a  seaman. 
The  raft,  too,  now  its  length  was  reduced,  was  much  more 
manageable  than  it  had  b«en  originally,  and  in  rummaging 
about  the  'twixt-decks  I  had  found  a  set  of  oars  belonging 
to  the  launch,  which  had  been  stowed  in  the  steerage,  and 


342  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

which  of  course  were  preserved.  These  I  had  taken  to  the 
raft,  to  strengthen  my  staging,  or  deck,  and  two  of  them  had 
been  reserved  for  the  very  purpose  to  which  they  were  now 
applied. 

Cutting  away  the  kedge,  then,  and  casting  off  the  other 
ropes  I  had  used  with  which  to  breast-to  the  raft,  I  began 
to  shove  off,  just  as  the  sun  was  dipping.  So  long  as  I 
could  pull  by  the  ship,  I  did  very  well,  for  I  adopted  the 
expedient  of  hauling  astern,  instead  of  pushing  broad  off, 
under  the  notion  that  I  might  get  a  better  drift,  if  quite 
from  under  the  lee  of  the  vessel,  than  if  lying  on  her  broad- 
side. I  say  the  "  lee,"  though  there  wasn't  a  breath  of  air, 
nor  scarcely  any  motion  of  the  water.  I  had  a  line  fast  to  a 
stern-davit,  and  placing  myself  with  my  feet  braced  against 
the  chest,  I  soon  overcame  the  vis  inertice  of  the  spars,  and, 
exerting  all  my  force,  when  it  was  once  in  motion,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  giving  the  raft  an  impetus  that  carried  it  com- 
pletely past  the  ship.  I  confess  I  felt  no  personal  appre- 
hension from  the  suction,  supposing  the  ship  to  sink  while 
the  raft  was  in  absolute  contact  with  it,  but  the  agitation  of 
the  water  might  weaken  its  parts,  or  it  might  wash  most  of 
my  stores  away.  This  last  consideration  induced  me,  now, 
to  go  to  work  with  the  oars,  and  try  to  do  all  I  could,  by  that 
mode  of  propelling  my  dull  craft.  I  worked  hard  just  one 
hour,  by  my  watch ;  at  the  expiration  of  that  time,  the  near- 
est end  of  the  raft,  or  the  lower  part  of  the  foremast,  was 
about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  Dawn's  taffrail.  This  was 
a  slow  movement,  and  did  not  fail  to  satisfy  me,  that,  if  I 
were  to  be  saved  at  all,  it  would  be  by  means  of  some  pass- 
ing vessel,  and  not  by  my  own  progress. 

Overcome  by  fatigue,  I  now  lay  down  and  slept.  I  took 
no  precautions  against  the  wind's  rising  in  the  night;  firstly, 
because  I  thought  it  impossible  from  the  tranquil  aspects  of 
the  heavens  and  the  ocean;  and  secondly,  because  I  felt  no 
doubt  that  the  wash  of  the  water  and  the  sound  of  the  winds 
would  arouse  me,  should  it  occur  differently.     As  on  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  343 

previous  night,  I  slept  sweetly,  and  obtained  renewed 
strength  for  any  future  trials.  As  on  the  preceding  morn- 
ing, too,  I  was  awaked  by  the  warm  rays  of  the  rising  sun 
falling  on  my  face.  On  first  awaking,  I  did  not  know  ex- 
actly where  I  was.  A  moment's  reflection,  however,  sufficed 
to  recall  the  past  to  my  mind,  and  I  turned  to  examine  my 
actual  situation. 

I  looked  for  the  ship  toward  the  end  of  the  mast,  or  in  the 
direction  where  I  had  last  seen  her,  but  she  was  not  visible. 
The  raft  had  swung  round  in  the  night,  I  thought,  and  I 
bent  my  eyes  slowly  round  the  entire  circle  of  the  horizon, 
but  no  ship  was  to  be  seen.  The  Dawn  had  sunk  in  the 
night,  and  so  quietly  as  to  give  no  alarm!  I  shuddered, 
for  I  could  not  but  imagine  what  would  have  been  my  fate, 
had  I  been  aroused  from  the  sleep  of  the  living  only  to  ex- 
perience the  last  agony  as  I  passed  away  into  the  sleep  of 
the  dead.  I  cannot  describe  the  sensation  that  came  over 
me  as  I  gazed  around,  and  found  myself  on  the  broad  ocean, 
floating  on  a  little  deck  that  was  only  ten  feet  square,  and 
which  was  raised  less  than  two  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
waters.  It  was  now  that  I  felt  the  true  frailty  of  my  posi- 
tion, and  comprehended  all  its  dangers.  Before,  it  had  been 
shaded  by  the  ship,  as  it  might  be,  and  I  had  found  a  spe- 
cies of  protection  in  her  presence.  But  the  whole  truth  now 
stood  before  me.  Even  a  moderate  breeze  would  raise  a  sea 
that  could  not  fail  to  break  over  the  staging,  and  which 
must  sweep  everything  away.  The  spars  had  a  specific 
lightness,  it  is  true,  and  they  would  never  sink,  or  if  they 
did  sink,  it  would  only  be  at  the  end  of  ages,  when  satu- 
rated with  water  and  covered  with  barnacles;  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  they  possessed  none  of  the  buoyancy  of  a  vessel, 
and  could  not  rise  above  the  rolling  waters  sufficiently  to 
clear  their  breakers. 

These  were  not  comfortable  reflections;  they  pressed  on 
my  mind  even  while  engaged  at  my  morning  devotions. 
After  performing,  in  the  best  manner  I  could,  this  never- 


344  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

ceasing  duty,  I  ate  a  little,  though  I  must  admit  it  was  with 
a  small  appetite.  Then  I  made  the  best  stowage  I  could  of 
my  effects,  and  rigged  and  stepped  the  mast,  hoisting  the 
sail  as  a  signal  to  any  vessel  that  might  appear.  I  expected 
wind  ere  long,  nor  was  I  disappointed — a  moderate  breeze 
springing  up  from  the  northwest  about  nine  o'clock.  This 
air  was  an  immense  relief  to  me  in  more  ways  than  one.  It 
cooled  my  person,  which  was  suffering  from  the  intense  heat 
of  a  summer's  sun  beating  directly  on  a  boundless  expanse 
of  water,  and  it  varied  a  scene  that  otherwise  possessed  an 
oppressively  wearisome  sameness.  Unfortunately,  this 
breeze  met  me  in  the  bows ;  for  I  had  stepped  my  mast  in 
the  foremast,  lashed  it  against  the  bottom  of  the  top,  which 
it  will  be  remembered,  was  now  perpendicular,  and  stayed 
it  to  the  mast-heads  and  dead-eyes  of  the  topmast-rigging, 
all  of  which  remained  as  when  erect,  though  now  floating 
on  the  water.  I  intended  the  fractured  part  of  the  foremast 
for  my  cut-water,  and,  of  course,  had  to  ware  ship  before  I 
could  gather  any  way.  This  single  manoeuvre  occupied  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  my  braces,  tacks,  and  sheets  not  working 
particularly  well.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  however,  I  got 
round,  and  laid  my  yard  square. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 


There  was  speech  in  their  dumbness,  language  in  their  very  gesture  ;  they  looked, 
as  they  had  heard  of  a  world  ransomed,  or  one  destroyed.  A  notable  passion  of  won- 
der appeared  in  them  ;  but  the  wisest  beholder,  that  knew  no  more  but  seeing,  could 
not  say,  if  the  importance  were  joy,  or  sorrow ;  but  in  the  extremity  of  the  one,  it 
must  needs  be.  IVtnter's  Tale. 

As  soon  as  the  raft  got  fairly  before  the  wind,  and  the  breeze 
had  freshened,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  ascertaining  what  it 
would  do.  The  royal  was  a  large  one,  and  it  stood  well.  I 
had  brought  a  log-line  and  the  slow-glass  with  me,  as  well 
as  my  quadrant,  slate,  etc.,  and  began  to  think  of  keeping  a 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  345 

reckoning.  I  had  supposed  the  ship  to  be,  when  it  fell 
calm,  about  two  hundred  miles  from  the  land,  and  I  knew 
her  to  be  in  latitude  48°  37".  The  log-line  told  me  the 
raft  moved  through  the  water,  all  that  forenoon,  at  the  rate 
of  about  half  a  knot  in  the  hour;  and  could  I  keep  on  for 
fifteen  or  sixteen  days,  in  a  straight  course,  I  might  yet  hope 
to  get  ashore.  I  was  not  so  weak,  however,  as  to  expect  any 
such  miracle  to  be  wrought  in  my  favor,  though,  had  I  been 
in  the  trades,  the  thing  might  have  occurred.  By  cutting 
adrift  the  two  yards,  or  by  getting  them  fore  and  aft,  in  a 
line  with  the  water,  my  rate  of  sailing  might  be  doubled; 
and  I  began  seriously  to  think  of  effecting  this  great  change. 
Cut  the  yards  adrift  I  did  not  like  to  do,  their  support  in 
keeping  me  out  of  water  being  very  important.  By  hauling 
on  the  left,  I  did  get  them  in  a  more  oblique  position,  and 
in  a  measure  thus  lessened  their  resistance  to  the  element. 
I  thought  that  even  this  improvement  made  a  difference  of 
half  a  knot  in  my  movement.  Nevertheless,  it  was  tedious 
work  to  be  a  whole  hour  in  going  less  than  a  single  mile, 
when  two  hundred  remained  to  be  travelled,  and  the  risks 
of  the  ocean  were  thus  constantly  impending  over  one! 

What  a  day  was  that!  It  blew  pretty  fresh  at  one  time, 
and  I  began  to  tremble  for  my  staging,  or  deck,  which  got 
washed  several  times,  though  the  topsail-yard  made  for  it  a 
sort  of  lee,  and  helped  to  protect  it.  Toward  the  decline  of 
the  day,  the  wind  went  down,  and  at  sunset  everything  was 
as  tranquil  as  it  had  been  the  previous  evening.  I  thought 
I  might  have  been  eight  or  nine  miles  from  the  spot  where 
the  Dawn  went  down,  without  computing  the  influence  of 
the  currents,  which  may  have  set  me  all  that  distance  back 
again,  or  so  much  further  ahead,  for  anything  I  knew  of  the 
matter.  At  sunset  I  took  an  anxious  survey  of  the  horizon, 
to  see  if  any  sail  were  in  sight;  but  nothing  was  visible. 

Another  tranquil  nigh^gave  me  another  tranquil  night's 
rest.  I  call  the  last  tranquil,  as  it  proved  to  be  in  one  sense, 
though  I  was  sorely  troubled  with  dreams.     Had  I  been 


346  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

suffering  for  nourishment,  I  certainly  should  have  dreamed 
of  food ;  but  such  not  being  the  case,  my  thoughts  took  the 
direction  of  home  and  friends.  Much  of  the  time  I  lay  half 
asleep  and  half  awake;  then  my  mind  would  revert  to  my 
sister,  to  Lucy,  to  Mr.  Hardinge,  and  to  Clawbonny — which 
I  fancied  already  in  the  possession  of  John  Wallingford,  who 
was  triumphing  in  his  ownership,  and  the  success  of  his 
arts.  Then  I  thought  Lucy  had  purchased  the  place,  and 
was  living  there  with  Andrew  Drewett,  in  a  handsome  new 
house,  built  in  the  modern  taste.  By  modern  taste,  I  do 
not  mean  one  of  the  Grecian-temple  school,  as  I  do  not 
think  that  even  all  the  vagaries  of  a  diseased  imagination, 
that  was  suffering  under  the  calamities  of  shipwreck,  could 
induce  me  to  imagine  Lucy  Hardinge  silly  enough  to  desire 
to  live  in  such  a  structure. 

Toward  morning,  I  fell  into  a  doze,  the  fourth  or  fifth  re- 
newal of  my  slumbers  that  night;  and  I  remember  that  I 
had  that  sort  of  curious  sensation  which  apprises  us  itself, 
it  was  a  dream.  In  the  course  of  the  events  that  passed 
through  my  mind,  I  fancied  I  overheard  Marble  and  Neb 
conversing.  Their  voices  were  low,  and  solemn,  as  I 
thought;  and  the  words  so  distinct,  that  I  still  remember 
every  syllable. 

"  No,  Neb,"  said  Marble,  or  seemed  to  say,  in  a  most  sor- 
rowful tone,  one  I  had  never  heard  him  use  even  in  speak- 
ing of  his  hermitage,  "  there  is  little  hope  for  Miles,  now. 
I  felt  as  if  the  poor  boy  was  lost  when  I  saw  him  swept  away 
from  me,  by  them  bloody  spars  striking  adrift,  and  set  him 
down  as  one  gone  from  that  moment.  You've  lost  an  A 
No.  I  master.  Mister  Neb,  I  can  tell  you,  and  you  may  sarve 
a  hundred  before  you  fall  in  with  his  like  ag'in." 

"I  nebber  sarve  anoder  gentleum,  Misser  Marble,"  re- 
turned the  black;  'V^/as  sartain  as  gospel.  I  born  in  *e 
Wallingford  family,  and  I  lib  an'  die  in  'e  same  family,  or 
I  don't  want  to  lib  and  die,  at  all.  My  real  name  be  Wall- 
ingford, dough  folk  do  call  me  Clawbonny." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  347 

"Ay,  and  a  slim  family  it's  got  to  be,"  rejoined  the  mate. 
"The  nicest,  and  the  handsomest,  and  the  most  virtuous 
young  woman  in  all  York  state,  is  gone  out  of  it,  first;  I 
knew  but  little  of  her;  but,  how  often  did  poor  Miles  tell 
me  all  about  her;  and  how  he  loved  her,  and  how  she  loved 
him,  and  the  like  of  all  that,  as  is  becoming;  and  something 
in  the  way  that  I  love  little  Kitty,  my  niece,  you  know,  Neb, 
only  a  thousand  times  more;  and  hearing  so  much  of  a  per- 
son is  all  the  same,  or  even  better,  than  to  know  them  up 
and  down,  if  a  body  wants  to  feel  respect  with  all  his  heart. 
Secondly,  as  a  person  would  say,  now  there's  Miles,  lost  too, 
for  the  ship  is  sartainly  gone  down,  Neb;  otherwise,  she 
would  have  been  seen  floating  hereabouts,  and  we  may  log 
him  as  a  man  lost  overboard." 

"P'rhaps  not,  Misser  Marble,"  said  the  negro.  "Masser 
Mile  swim  like  a  fish,  and  he  isn't  the  gentleum  to  give  up 
as  soon  as  trouble  come.  P'rhaps  he  swimming  about  all 
dis  time." 

"  Miles  could  do  all  that  man  could  do,  Neb,  but  he  can't 
swim  two  hundred  miles — a  South-Sea  man  might  do  some- 
thing like  that,  I  do  suppose,  but  they're  onaccountably 
web-footed.  No,  no.  Neb ;  I  fear  we  shall  have  to  give  him 
up.  Providence  swept  him  away  from  us,  like,  and  we've 
lost  him.  Ah's  me — well,  I  loved  that  boy  better,  even,  than 
a  Yankee  loves  cucumbers." 

This  may  be  thought  an  odd  comparison  to  cross  a  drowsy 
imagination,  but  it  was  one  Marble  often  made;  and  if  eat- 
ing the  fruit  morning,  noon,  and  night,  will  vindicate  its 
justice,  the  mate  stood  exonerated  from  everything  like  ex- 
aggeration. 

"Ebbrybody  lub  Masser  Mile,"  said  the  warm-hearted 
Neb,  or  I  thought  he  so  said.  "  I  nebber  see  dat  we  can  go 
home  to  good  old  Masser  Hardinge  and  tell  him  how  we 
lose  Masser  Mile!  "         • 

"  It  will  be  a  hard  job,  Neb,  but  I  greatly  fear  it  must 
be  done.     However,  we  will  now  turn  in  and  try  to  catch  a 


348  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

nap,  for  the  wind  will  be  rising  one  of  these  times,  and  then 
we  shall  have  need  of  keeping  our  eyes  wide  open." 

After  this  I  heard  no  more;  but  every  word  of  that  which 
I  have  related  sounded  as  plainly  in  my  ears  as  if  the 
speakers  were  within  fifty  feet  of  me.  I  lay  in  the  same 
state  some  time  longer,  endeavoring,  as  I  was  curious  my- 
self, of  catching,  or  fancying,  more  words  from  those  I  loved 
so  well ;  but  no  more  came.  Then  I  believe  I  fell  into  a 
deeper  sleep,  for  I  remember  no  more  for  hours. 

At  dawn  I  awoke,  the  care  on  my  mind  answering  for  a 
call.  This  time  I  did  not  wait  for  the  sun  to  shine  in  my 
eyes,  but,  of  the  two,  I  rather  preceded  than  awaited  the 
return  of  the  light.  On  standing  erect,  I  found  the  sea  as 
tranquil  as  it  had  been  the  previous  night,  and  there  was  an 
entire  calm.  It  was  still  so  dusky  that  a  little  examination 
was  necessary  to  be  certain  nothing  was  near.  The  horizon 
was  scarcely  clear,  though,  making  my  first  look  toward  the 
east,  objects  were  plainest  in  that  quarter  of  the  ocean.  I 
then  turned  slowly  round,  examining  the  vast  expanse  of 
water  as  I  did  so,  until  my  back  was  toward  the  approaching 
light,  and  I  faced  the  west.  I  thought  I  saw  a  boat  within 
ten  yards  of  me!  At  first,  I  took  it  for  illusion,  and  rubbed 
my  eyes  to  make  sure  that  I  was  awake.  There  it  was,  how- 
ever, and  another  look  satisfied  me  it  was  my  own  launch, 
or  that  in  which  poor  Neb  had  been  carried  overboard. 
What  was  more,  it  was  floating  in  the  proper  manner,  ap- 
peared buoyant,  and  had  two  masts  rigged.  It  is  true,  that 
it  looked  dusky  as  objects  appear  just  at  dawn,  but  it  was 
sufficiently  distinct.  I  could  not  be  mistaken ;  it  was  my 
own  launch  thus  thrown  within  my  reach  by  the  mercy  of 
divine  Providence! 

This  boat,  then,  had  survived  the  gale,  and  the  winds  and 
currents  had  brought  it  and  the  raft  together.  What  had 
become  of  Neb  ?  He  must  have  rigged  the  masts,  for  none 
were  stepped,  of  course,  when  the  boat  was  in  the  chocks. 
Masts,  and  sails,  and  oars  were  always  kept  in  the  boat,  it 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  349 

is  true;  but  the  first  could  not  be  stepped  without  hands. 
A  strange,  wild  feeling  came  over  me,  as  a  man  might 
be  supposed  to  yield  to  the  appearance  of  supernatural 
agencies,  and  almost  without  intending  it,  I  shouted  "  boat 
ahoy!" 

"  Yo  hoy!  "  answered  Marble;  "who  hails?  " 
The  form  of  the  mate  appeared  rising  in  the  boat;  at  the 
next  instant.  Neb  stood  at  his  side.  The  conversation  of 
the  previous  night  had  been  real,  and  those  whom  I  had 
mourned  as  lost  stood  within  thirty  feet  of  me,  hale,  hearty, 
and  unharmed.  The  boat  and  raft  had  approached  each 
other  in  the  darkness;  and,  as  I  afterward  learned,  the 
launch  having  fanned  along  for  several  hours  of  the  night, 
stopped  for  want  of  wind  nearly  where  I  now  saw  her,  and 
where  the  dialogue,  part  of  which  I  overheard  while  half 
asleep,  had  taken  place.  Had  the  launch  continued  on  its 
course  only  ten  yards  farther,  it  would  have  hit  the  fore- 
topmast.  That  attraction  of  which  I  have  already  spoken, 
probably  kept  the  boat  and  raft  near  each  other  throughout 
the  night,  and  quite  likely  had  been  slowly  drawing  them 
together  while  we  slept. 

It  would  not  be  easy  to  say  which  party  was  the  most 
astonished  at  this  recognition.  There  was  Marble,  whom  I 
had  supposed  washed  off  the  raft,  safe  in  the  launch;  and 
here  was  I,  whom  the  other  two  had  thought  to  have  gone 
down  in  the  ship,  safe  on  the  raft!  We  appeared  to  have 
changed  places,  without  concert  and  without  expectation  of 
ever  again  meeting.  Though  ignorant  of  the  means  through 
which  all  this  had  been  brought  about,  I  very  well  know 
what  we  did,  as  soon  as  each  man  was  certain  that  he  saw 
the  other  standing  before  him  in  the  flesh.  We  sat  down 
and  wept  like  three  children.  Then  Neb,  too  impatient  to 
wait  for  Marble's  movements,  threw  himself  into  the  sea 
and  swam  to  the  raft.  When  he  got  on  the  staging,  the 
honest  fellow  kissed  my  hands  again  and  again,  blubbering 
the  whole  time  like  a  girl  of  three  or  four  years  of  age. 


350  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

This  scene  was  interrupted  only  by  the  expostulations  and 
proceedings  of  the  mate. 

"What's  this  you're  doing,  you  bloody  nigger!"  cried 
Marble.  "Desarting  your  station,  and  leaving  me  here, 
alone,  to  manage  this  heavy  launch  by  myself.  It  might  be 
the  means  of  losing  all  hands  of  us  again,  should  a  hurri- 
cane spring  up  suddenly,  and  wreck  us  over  again." 

The  truth  was,  Marble  began  to  be  ashamed  of  the  weak- 
ness he  had  betrayed,  and  was  ready  to  set  upon  anything 
in  order  to  conceal  it.  Neb  put  an  end  to  this  sally,  how- 
ever, by  plunging  again  into  the  water  and  swimming  back 
to  the  boat,  as  readily  as  he  had  come  to  the  raft. 

"Ay,  here  you  are,  Neb,  nigger-like,  and  not  knowing 
whether  to  stay  or  to  go,"  growled  the  mate,  busy  the  whole 
time  in  shipping  two  oars.  "  You  put  me  in  mind  of  a  great 
singer  I  once  heard  in  Liverpool ;  a  chap  that  would  keep 
shaking  and  quavering  at  the  end  of  a  varse,  in  such  a  style 
that  he  sometimes  did  not  know  whether  to  let  go  or  to  hold 
on.  It  is  onbecoming  in  men  to  forget  themselves,  Neb;  if 
we  have  found  him  we  thought  to  be  lost,  it  is  no  reason  for 
desarting  our  stations,  or  losing  our  wits — Miles,  my  dear 
boy,"  springing  on  the  raft,  and  sending  Neb  adrift  again, 
all  alone,  by  the  backward  impetus  of  the  leap — "  Miles, 
my  dear  boy,  God  be  praised  for  this !  "  squeezing  both  my 
hands  as  in  a  vice — "  I  don't  know  how  it  is — but  ever  since 
I've  fallen  in  with  my  mother  and  little  Kitty,  I've  got  to  be 
womanish.     I  suppose  it's  what  you  call  domestic  affection." 

Here  Marble  gave  in  once  more,  blubbering  just  as  hard 
as  Neb  himself  had  done. 

A  few  minutes  later,  all  three  began  to  know  what  we 
were  about.  The  launch  was  hauled  up  alongside  of  the 
stage,  and  we  sat  on  the  latter,  relating  the  manner  in  which 
each  of  us  had  been  saved.  First,  then,  as  to  Neb :  I  have 
already  told  the  mode  in  which  the  launch  was  swept  over- 
board, and  I  inferred  its  loss  from  the  violence  of  the  tem- 
pest, and  the  height  of  the  seas  that  were  raging  around  us. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  351 

It  is  true,  neither  Marble  nor  I  saw  anything  of  the  launch 
after  it  sunk  behind  the  first  hill  of  water  to  leeward,  for  we 
had  too  much  to  attend  to  on  board  the  ship  to  have  leisure 
to  look  about  us.  But  it  seems  the  black  was  enabled  to 
maintain  the  boat  the  right  side  up,  and,  by  baling,  to  keep 
her  afloat.  He  drove  to  leeward,  of  course,  and  the  pool 
fellow  described  in  vivid  terms  his  sensations  as  he  saw  the 
rate  at  which  he  was  driving  away  from  the  ship,  and  the 
manner  in  which  he  lost  sight  of  her  remaining  spars.  As 
soon  as  the  wind  would  permit,  however,  he  stepped  the 
masts,  and  set  the  two  luggs,  close  reefed,  making  stretches 
of  three  or  four  miles  in  length,  to  windward.  This  timely 
decision  was  the  probable  means  of  saving  all  our  lives.  In 
the  course  of  a  few  hours,  after  he  had  got  the  boat  under 
command,  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  fore-royal-masts  stick- 
ing out  from  the  cap  of  a  sea,  and  watching  it  eagerly,  he 
next  perceived  the  whole  of  the  raft,  as  it  came  up  on  the 
same  swell,  with  Marble,  half  drowned,  lashed  to  the  top. 
It  was  quite  an  hour  before  Neb  could  get  near  enough  to 
the  raft,  or  spars,  to  make  Marble  conscious  of  his  presence, 
and  some  time  longer  ere  he  could  get  the  sufferer  into  the 
boat.  This  rescue  did  not  occur  one  minute  too  soon,  for 
the  mate  admitted  to  me  he  was  half  drowned,  and  that  he 
did  not  think  he  could  have  held  out  much  longer,  when 
Neb  took  him  into  the  boat. 

As  for  food  and  water,  they  fared  well  enough.  A  breaker 
of  fresh  water  was  kept  in  each  boat,  by  my  standing  orders, 
and  it  seems  that  the  cook,  who  was  a  bit  of  an  epicure  in 
his  way,  was  in  the  habit  of  stowing  a  bag  of  bread  and  cer- 
tain choice  pieces  of  beef  and  pork,  in  the  bows  of  the 
launch,  for  his  own  special  benefit.  All  these  Neb  had 
found,  somewhat  the  worse  for  salt  water,  it  is  true,  but  still 
in  a  condition  to  be  eaten.  There  was  sufficient  in  the 
launch,  therefore,  when  we  •thus  met,  to  sustain  Marble  and 
Neb  in  good  heart  for  a  week. 

As  soon  as  the  mate  was  got  o&  the  raft,  he  took  direction 


352  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

of  the  launch.  Unluckily,  he  made  a  long  stretch  to  the 
northward,  intending  to  tack  and  cross  what  he  supposed 
must  have  been  the  position  of  the  ship,  and  come  to  my 
relief.  While  the  launch  was  thus  working  its  way  to  wind- 
ward, I  fell  in  with,  and  took  possession  of,  the  raft,  as  has 
been  described.  Marble's  calculation  was  a  good  one  in  the 
main,  but  it  brought  him  near  the  Dawn  the  night  she  sank, 
and  the  raft  and  boat  were  both  too  low  to  be  seen  at  any 
distance,  the  one  from  the  other.  It  is  probable  we  were 
not  more  than  ten  or  twelve  miles  asunder  the  most  of  the 
day  I  was  on  the  raft.  Marble  putting  up  his  helm  to  cross 
the  supposed  position  of  the  ship,  about  three  in  the  after- 
noon. This  brought  him  down  upon  the  raft  about  mid- 
night, when  the  conversation  I  have  related  took  place, 
within  a  few  yards  of  me,  neither  party  having  the  least 
notion  of  the  proximity  of  the  other. 

I  was  touched  by  the  manner  in  which  Marble  and  Neb 
spoke  of  my  supposed  fate.  Neither  seemed  to  remember 
that  he  was  washed  away  from  a  ship,  but  appeared  to  fancy 
that  I  was  abandoned  alone  on  the  high  seas  in  a  sinking 
vessel.  While  I  had  been  regretting  their  misfortunes,  they 
had  both  thought  of  me  as  the  party  to  be  pitied,  each  fancy- 
ing his  own  fortune  more  happy  than  mine.  In  a  word, 
their  concern  for  me  was  so  great  that  they  altogether  forgot 
to  dwell  on  the  hardships  and  dangers  of  their  own  par- 
ticular cases.  I  could  not  express  all  I  felt  on  the  occasion, 
but  the  events  of  that  morning  and  the  feelings  betrayed  by 
my  two  old  shipmates  made  an  impression  on  my  heart  that 
time  has  not,  nor  ever  can,  efface.  Most  men  who  had  been 
washed  overboard  would  have  fancied  themselves  the  suffer- 
ing party ;  but  during  the  remainder  of  the  long  intercourse 
that  succeeded,  both  Marble  and  Neb  always  alluded  to  this 
occurrence  as  if  I  were  the  person  lost  and  rescued. 

We  were  an  hour  or  more  intently  occupied  in  these  ex- 
planations before  either  recollected  the  future.  Then  I  felt 
it  was  time  to  have  some  thought  for  our  situation,  which 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  353 

was  sufficiently  precarious  as  it  was,  though  Marble  and 
Neb  made  light  of  any  risks  that  remained  to  be  run.  I 
was  saved,  as  it  might  be,  by  a  miracle,  and  that  was  all 
that  they  could  remember  just  then.  But  a  breeze  sprang 
up  from  the  eastwaid,  as  the  sun  appeared,  and  the  agitation 
of  the  raft  soon  satisfied  me  that  my  berth  would  have  been 
most  precarious  had  I  not  been  so  providentially  relieved. 
It  is  true,  Marble  made  light  of  the  present  state  of  things, 
which,  compared  to  those  into  which  he  had  been  so  sud- 
denly launched,  without  food,  water,  or  provisions  of  any 
sort,  was  a  species  of  paradise.  Nevertheless,  no  time  was 
to  be  wasted,  and  we  had  a  long  road  to  travel  in  the  boat 
ere  we  could  deem  ourselves  in  the  least  safe. 

My  two  associates  had  got  the  launch  in  as  good  order  as 
circumstances  would  allow.  But  it  wanted  ballast  to  carry 
sail  hard,  and  they  had  felt  this  disadvantage,  particularly 
Neb,  when  he  first  got  the  boat  on  a  wind.  I  could  under- 
stand, by  his  account  of  the  difficulties  and  dangers  he  ex- 
perienced, though  it  came  out  incidentally,  and  without  the 
smallest  design  to  magnify  his  own  merits,  that  nothing  but 
his  undying  interest  in  me  could  have  prevented  him  from 
running  off  before  the  wind  in  order  to  save  his  own  life. 
An  opportunity  now  offered  to  remedy  this  evil,  and  we  went 
to  work  to  transfer  all  the  effects  I  had  placed  on  the  stage 
to  the  launch.  They  made  a  little  cargo  that  gave  her 
stability  at  once.  As  soon  as  this  was  done,  we  entered  the 
boat,  made  sail,  and  hauled  close  on  a  wind,  under  reefed 
luggs,  it  beginning  to  blow  smartly  in  puffs. 

I  did  not  part  from  the  raft  without  melancholy  regrets. 
The  materials  of  which  it  was  composed  were  all  that  now 
remained  of  the  Dawn.  Then  the  few  hours  of  jeopardy 
and  loneliness  I  had  passed  on  it  were  not  to  be  forgotten. 
They  still  recur  vividly  to  my  thoughts  with  deep,  and,  I 
trust,  profitable  reflections.  Jhe  first  hour  after  we  cast  off, 
we  stood  to  the  southward.  The  wind  continuing  to  increase 
in  violence,  and  the  sea  to  get  up,  until  it  blew  too  fresh  for. 
23 


354  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

the  boat  to  make  any  headway,  or  even  to  hold  her  own 
against  it,  Marble  thought  he  might  do  better  on  the  other 
tack — having  some  reason  to  suppose  there  was  a  current 
setting  to  the  southward  and  eastward — and  we  wore  round. 
After  standing  to  the  northward  for  a  sufficient  length  of 
time,  we  again  fell  in  with  the  spars — a  proof  that  we  were 
doing  nothing  toward  working  our  way  to  windward.  I 
determined,  at  once,  to  make  fast  to  them,  and  use  them  as 
a  sort  of  floating  anchor,  so  long  as  the  foul  wind  lasted. 
We  had  some  difficulty  in  effecting  this  object;  but  we 
finally  succeeded  in  getting  near  enough  under  the  lee  of 
the  top  to  make  fast  to  one  of  its  eye-bolts — using  a  small 
bit  of  hawser  that  was  in  the  boat  for  that  purpose.  The 
boat  was  then  dropped  a  sufficient  distance  to  leeward  of  the 
spars,  where  it  rode  head  to  sea,  like  a  duck.  This  was  a 
fortunate  expedient;  as  it  came  on  to  blow  hard,  and  we 
had  something  very  like  a  little  gale  of  wind. 

As  soon  as  the  launch  was  thus  moored,  we  found  its  ad- 
vantage. It  shipped  no  more  water,  or  very  little,  and  we 
were  not  compelled  to  be  on  the  lookout  for  squalls,  which 
occurred  every  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  with  a  violence  that 
it  would  not  do  to  trifle  with.  The  weather  thickened  at 
these  moments;  and  there  were  intervals  of  half  an  hour  at 
a  time,  when  we  could  not  see  a  hundred  yards  from  the 
boat,  on  account  of  the  drizzling,  misty  rain  that  filled 
the  atmosphere.  There  we  sat,  conversing  sometimes  of  the 
past,  sometimes  of  the  future,  a  bubble  in  the  midst  of  the 
raging  waters  of  the  Atlantic,  filled  with  the  confidence  of 
seamen.  With  the  stout  boat  we  possessed,  the  food  and 
water  we  had,  I  do  not  think  either  now  felt  any  great  con- 
cern for  his  fate;  it  being  possible,  in  moderate  weather,  to 
run  the  launch  far  enough  to  reach  an  English  port  in  about 
a  week.  Favored  by  even  a  tolerably  fair  wind,  the  object 
might  be  effected  in  even  two  or  three  days. 

"  I  take  it  for  granted,  Miles,"  Marble  remarked,  as  we 
pursued  our  discourse,  "  that  your  insurance  will  completely 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  355 

cover  your  whole  loss.  You  did  not  forget  to  include 
freight  in  the  risks  ?  " 

"  So  far  from  this,  Moses,  I  believe  myself  to  be  nearly 
or  quite  a  ruined  man.  The  loss  of  the  ship  is  unquestion- 
ably owing  to  the  act  of  the  Speedy,  united  to  our  own,  in 
setting  those  Englishmen  adrift  on  the  ocean.  No  insurers 
will  meet  a  policy  that  has  thus  been  voided." 

"Ah!  the  blackguards!  This  is  worse  than  I  had 
thought;  but  you  can  always  make  a  harbor  at  Clawbonny." 

I  was  on  the  point  of  explaining  to  Marble  how  I  stood  in 
relation  to  the  paternal  acres,  when  a  sort  of  shadow  was 
suddenly  cast  on  the  boat,  and  I  fancied  the  rushing  of  the 
water  seemed  to  be  increased  at  the  same  instant.  We  all 
three  sat  with  our  faces  to  leeward,  and  all  turned  them  to 
windward  under  a  common  impulse.  A  shout  burst  from 
Marble's  throat,  and  a  sight  met  my  eyes  that  caused  the 
blood  to  rush  in  a  torrent  through  my  heart.  Literally 
within  a  hundred  feet  of  us  was  a  large  ship,  ploughing  the 
ocean  with  a  furrow  that  rose  to  her  hawse-holes,  and  piling 
before  her,  in  her  track,  a  mound  of  foam,  as  she  came  down 
upon  us,  with  topmast  and  lower  studding-sails  set — over- 
shadowing the  sea  like  some  huge  cloud.  There  was 
scarcely  time  for  more  than  a  glance,  ere  the  ship  was  nearly 
upon  us.  As  she  rose  on  a  swell,  her  black  sides  came  up 
out  of  the  ocean,  glittering  and  dripping,  and  the  line  of 
frowning  guns  seemed  as  if  just  lacquered.  Neb  was  in  the 
bow  of  the  launch,  while  I  was  in  the  stern.  My  arm  was 
extended  involuntarily,  or  instinctively  would  be  the  better 
word,  to  avert  the  danger,  when  it  seemed  to  me  that  the 
next  send  of  the  ship  would  crush  us  beneath  the  bright 
copper  of  her  bottom.  Without  Neb's  strength  and  presence 
of  mind,  we  had  been  lost  beyond  a  hope;  for  swimming  up 
to  the  spars  against  the  sea  that  was  on  would  have  been 
next  to  hopeless;  and  even  if  there,  without  food,  or  water, 
our  fate  would  have  been  sealed.  But  Neb  seized  the  hawser 
by  which  we  were  riding,  and  hauled  the  launch  ahead  her 


35^  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

length,  or  more,  before  the  frigate's  larboard  bower-anchor 
settled  down  in  a  way  that  menaced  crushing  us.  As  it 
was,  I  actually  laid  a  hand  on  the  muzzle  of  the  third  gun 
while  the  ship  went  foaming  by.  At  the  next  instant  she 
was  past;  and  we  were  safe.  Then  all  three  of  us  shouted 
together.  Until  that  moment,  none  in  the  frigate  were  aware 
of  our  vicinity.  But  the  shout  gave  the  alarm,  and  as  the  ship 
cleared  us,  her  taffrail  was  covered  with  officers.  Among 
them  was  one  gray-headed  man,  whom  I  recognized  by  his 
dress  for  the  captain.  He  made  a  gesture,  turning  an  arm 
upward,  and  I  knew  an  order  was  given  immediately  after, 
by  the  instantaneous  manner  in  which  the  taffrail  was 
cleared. 

"By  George!  "  exclaimed  Marble,  "I  had  a  generalizing 
time  of  it  for  half  a  dozen  seconds,  Miles." 

"  There  was  more  risk,"  I  answered,  "  than  time  to  reflect 
on  it.  However,  the  ship  is  about  to  round-to,  and  we  shall 
be  picked  up  at  last.     Let  us  thank  God  for  this. " 

It  was  indeed  a  beautiful  sight  for  a  seaman  to  note  the 
manner  in  which  that  old  captain  handled  his  vessel.  Al- 
though we  found  the  wind  and  sea  too  much  for  a  boat  that 
had  to  turn  to  windward,  neither  was  of  much  moment  to  a 
stout  frigate,  that  carried  fifty  guns,  and  which  was  running 
off  with  the  wind  on  her  quarter. 

She  was  hardly  past  us  when  I  could  see  preparations 
making  to  take  in  canvas.  At  the  instant  she  overshadowed 
us  with  her  huge  wings  this  vessel  had  topgallant-sails  set, 
with  two  topmast  and  a  lower  studding-sail,  besides  carrying 
the  lee-clew  of  her  mainsail  down,  and  the  other  customary 
cloth  spread.  Up  went  her  mainsail  almost  as  soon  as  the 
captain  made  the  signal  with  his  arm ;  then  all  three  of  the 
topgallant-sails  were  flying  at  the  same  moment.  Presently, 
the  yards  were  alive  with  men,  and  the  loose  canvas  was 
rolled  up,  and  the  gaskets  passed.  While  this  was  doing, 
down  came  all  the  studding-sails  together,  much  as  a  bird 
shuts  its  wings.     The  booms  disappeared  immediately  after. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  357 

"Look  at  that,  Miles!"  cried  the  delighted  Marble. 
"  Although  a  bloody  Englishman,  that  chap  leaves  nothing 
to  be  done  over  again.  He  puts  everything  in  its  place,  like 
an  old  woman  stowing  away  her  needles  and  thread.  I'll 
warrant  you,  the  old  blade  is  a  keen  one!  " 

"  The  ship  is  well  handled,  certainly,  and  her  people  work 
like  mariners  who  are  trying  to  save  the  lives  of  mariners." 

While  this  was  passing  between  us,  the  frigate  was 
stripped  to  her  three  topsails,  spanker,  jib,  and  fore-course. 
Down  came  her  yards  next,  and  then  they  were  covered  with 
blue-jackets,  like  bees  clustering  around  a  hive.  We  had 
scarcely  time  to  note  this  ere  the  men  lay  in,  and  the  yards 
were  up  again  with  the  sails  reefed.  This  was  no  sooner 
done  than  the  frigate,  which  had  luffed  the  instant  the  steer- 
ing-sails were  in,  was  trimmed  close  on  a  wind,  and  began 
to  toss  the  water  over  her  spritsail-yard  as  she  met  the 
waves  like  one  that  paid  them  no  heed.  No  sooner  was  the 
old  seaman  who  directed  all  this  assured  of  the  strength  of 
the  wind  he  had  to  meet,  than  down  went  his  mainsail  again, 
and  the  tack  was  hauled  aboard. 

The  stranger  was  then  under  the  smartest  canvas  a  frigate 
can  carry — reefs  in  her  topsails,  with  the  courses  set.  Her 
sail  could  be  shortened  in  an  instant,  yet  she  was  under  a 
press  of  it,  more  than  an  ordinary  vessel  would  presume  to 
carry,  perhaps,  in  so  strong  a  breeze. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  jeopardy  from  which  we  had 
just  escaped,  and  the  imminent  hazard  so  lately  run,  all 
three  of  us  watched  the  movements  of  the  frigate  with  as 
much  satisfaction  as  a  connoisseur  would  examine  a  fine 
painting.  Even  Neb  let  several  nigger  expressions  of 
pleasure  escape  him. 

By  the  time  sail  could  be  shortened  and  the  ship  hauled 
close  on  a  wind,  the  frigate  was  nearer  half  than  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  off.  We  had  to  wait,  therefore,  until  she  could 
beat  up  to  the  place  where  we  lay.  This  she  soon  did, 
making  one  stretch  to  the  southward  until  in  a  line  with  the 


358  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

boat,  when  she  tacked  and  came  toward  us  with  her  yards 
braced  up,  but  having  the  wind  nearly  abeam.  As  she  got 
within  a  cable's  length,  both  courses  were  hauled  up  and  left 
hanging  in  the  brails.  Then  the  noble  craft  came  rolling 
by  us  in  the  trough,  passing  so  near  that  we  might  be  spoken. 
The  old  officer  stood  in  the  weather  gangway  with  a  trumpet, 
and  he  hailed  when  near  enough  to  be  heard.  Instead  of 
asking  questions  to  satisfy  his  own  curiosity,  he  merely 
communicated  his  own  intentions. 

"  I'll  heave-to  when  past  you,"  he  cried  out,  "  waring  ship 
to  do  so.  You  can  then  drop  down  under  my  stern,  as  close 
as  possible,  and  we'll  throw  you  a  rope." 

I  understood  the  plan,  which  was  considerate,  having  a 
regard  to  the  feebleness  of  our  boat's  crew,  and  the  weight 
of  the  boat  itself.  Accordingly,  when  she  had  room  enough, 
the  frigate  wore,  hauling  up  close  on  the  other  tack,  and 
laying  her  mainyard  square.  As  soon  as  the  ship  was 
stationary,  Neb  cast  off  the  hawser,  and  Marble  and  he 
manned  two  oars.  We  got  the  boat  round  without  much 
risk,  and,  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  write  it,  were  sending 
down  toward  the  ship  at  a  furious  rate.  I  steered,  and 
passed  so  near  the  frigate's  rudder  that  I  thought,  for  an 
instant,  I  had  gone  too  close.  A  rope  was  hove  as  we 
cleared  the  lee-quarter  of  the  frigate,  and  the  people  on 
board  hauled  us  alongside.  We  caught  the  man-ropes,  and 
were  soon  on  the  quarter-deck.  A  respectable-looking, 
elderly  man,  of  a  square,  compact  frame,  and  a  fine  ruddy 
English  face,  in  a  post  captain's  undress,  received  me,  with 
an  extended  hand,  and  a  frank,  generous,  hearty  manner. 

"  You  are  welcome  on  board  the  Briton,"  he  said  warmly ; 
"  and  I  thank  God  that  he  has  put  it  in  our  power  to  relieve 
you.  Your  ship  must  have  been  lost  quite  recently,  as  you 
do  not  seem  to  have  suffered.  When  you  feel  equal  to  it,  I 
should  like  to  hear  the  name  of  your  vessel  and  the  par- 
ticulars of  her  disaster.  I  suppose  it  was  in  the  late  blow, 
which  was  a  whacker,  and  did  lots  of  mischief  along  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  359 

coast.  I  see  you  are  Americans,  and  that  your  boat  is  New 
York  built;  but  all  men  in  distress  are  countrymen." 

This  was  a  hearty  reception,  and  one  I  had  every  reason 
to  extol.  So  long  as  I  stayed  with  Captain  Rowley,  as  this 
officer  was  named,  I  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  any  change 
in  his  deportment.  Had  I  been  his  son,  he  could  not  have 
treated  me  more  kindly,  taking  me  into  his  own  cabin, 
and  giving  me  a  seat  at  his  own  table.  I  gave  him  an  out- 
line of  what  had  happened  to  us,  not  deeming  it  necessary 
to  relate  the  affair  with  the  Speedy,  however ;  simply  men- 
tioning the  manner  in  which  we  had  escaped  from  a  French 
privateer,  and  leaving  him  to  infer,  should  he  see  fit,  that 
the  rest  of  our  crew  had  been  carried  away  on  that  occasion. 
My  reserve  on  the  subject  of  the  other  capture,  the  reader 
will  at  once  see,  was  merely  a  necessary  piece  of  prudent 
caution. 

Captain  Rowley  had  no  sooner  heard  my  story,  which  I 
made  as  short  as  possible,  knowing  that  Marble  and  Neb 
had  been  cautioned  on  the  subject,  than  he  again  took  my 
hand,  and  welcomed  me  to  his  ship.  The  mate  was  sent 
into  the  gun-room,  and  recommended  to  the  hospitality  of 
the  lieutenants;  while  Neb  was  placed  in  the  care  of  the 
cabin  servants.  A  short  consultation  was  then  held  about 
the  boat,  which  it  was  decided  must  be  sent  adrift,  after  its 
effects  were  passed  out  of  it ;  the  Briton  having  no  use  for 
such  a  launch,  nor  any  place  to  stow  it.  I  stood  at  the 
gangway  and  looked  with  a  melancholy  eye  at  this  last  rem- 
nant of  the  Dawn  that  I  ever  beheld :  a  large  eighty  thousand 
dollars  of  my  property  vanishing  from  the  earth,  in  the  loss 
of  that  ship  and  her  cargo. 


360  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Some  shout  at  victory's  loud  acclaim, 

Some  fall  that  victory  to  assure. 
Bat  time  divulges  that  in  name, 

Alone,  our  triumphs  are  secure. 

Duo. 

The  Briton  had  come  out  of  the  Cove  of  Cork  only  a  few 
days  before,  and  was  bound  on  service,  with  orders  to  run 
off  to  the  westward,  a  few  hundred  miles,  and  to  cruise  three 
months  in  a  latitude  that  might  cover  the  homeward-bound 
running  ships,  from  the  American  provinces,  of  which  there 
were  many  in  that  early  period  of  the  war.  This  was  not 
agreeable  news  to  us,  who  had  hoped  to  be  landed  some- 
where immediately,  and  who  had  thought,  at  first,  on  seeing 
the  ship  carrying  a  press  of  sail  to  the  westward,  that  she 
might  be  going  to  Halifax.  There  was  no  remedy,  however, 
and  we  were  fain  to  make  the  best  of  circumstances.  Cap- 
tain Rowley  promised  to  put  us  on  board  the  first  vessel 
that  offered,  and  that  was  as  much  as  we  had  a  right  to  ask 
of  him. 

More  than  two  months  passed  without  the  Briton's  speak- 
ing, or  even  seeing,  a  single  sail !  To  these  vicissitudes  is 
the  seaman  subject;  at  one  time  he  is  in  the  midst  of  craft, 
at  another  the  ocean  seems  deserted  to  himself  alone.  Cap- 
tain Rowley  ascribed  this  want  of  success  to  the  fact  that 
the  war  was  inducing  the  running  ships  to  collect  in  con- 
voys, and  that  his  orders  carried  him  too  far  north  to  permit 
his  falling  in  with  the  Americans  bound  to  and  from  Liver- 
pool. Whatever  may  have  been  the  reason,  however,  the 
result  was  the  same  to  us.  After  the  gale  of  the  equinox, 
the  Briton  stood  to  the  southward,  as  far  as  Madeira,  such 
a  change  of  ground  being  included  in  her  instructions;  and 
thence,  after  cruising  three  weeks  in  the  neighborhood  of 
that  island,  she  shaped  her  course  for  Plymouth.  In  the 
whole,  the  frigate  had,  at  that  time,  brought-to  and  boarded 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  36 1 

some  thirty  sail,  all  of  whom  were  neutrals,  and  not  one  of 
whom  was  bound  to  a  port  that  would  do  us  any  good.  The 
ship's  water  getting  low,  we  were  now  compelled  to  go  in, 
and,  as  has  been  said,  we  made  sail  to  the  northward.  The 
afternoon  of  the  very  day  the  Briton  left  her  second  cruising 
ground,  a  strange  ship  was  seen  directly  on  her  course,  which 
was  pronounced  to  be  a  frigate  before  the  sun  set. 

The  Briton  manoeuvred  all  night  to  close  with  the  stranger, 
and  with  success,  as  he  was  only  a  league  distant,  and  a  very 
little  to  windward  of  her,  when  I  went  on  deck  early  the 
next  morning.  I  found  the  ship  clear  for  action,  and  a  de- 
gree of  animation  pervading  the  vessel,  that  I  had  never 
before  witnessed.  The  people  were  piped  to  breakfast  just 
as  I  approached  the  captain  to  salute  him  with  a  "  good 
morning." 

"Good  morning  to  you,  Wallingford,"  cried  the  old  man, 
in  a  cheerful  way;  "you  are  just  in  time  to  take  a  look  at 
yonder  Frenchman  in  his  glory.  Two  hours  hence  I  hope 
he'll  not  appear  quite  as  much  of  a  beau  as  he  is  at  this 
moment.  She's  a  noble  craft,  is  she  not,  and  quite  of  our 
own  force." 

"As  for  the  last,  sir,"  I  answered,  "there  does  not  seem 
much  to  choose — she  is  what  you  call  a  thirty-eight,  and 
mounts  fifty  guns,  I  dare  say.     Is  she  certainly  French  ?  " 

"  As  certainly  as  this  ship  is  English.  She  can  do  nothing 
with  our  signals,  and  her  rig  is  a  character  for  her.  Who 
ever  saw  an  Englishman  with  such  royal-masts  and  yards? 
So,  Master  Wallingford,  you  must  consent  to  take  your 
breakfast  an  hour  earlier  than  common,  or  go  without  it, 
altogether.     Ah — here  is  the  steward  to  say  it  waits  for  us." 

I  followed  Captain  Rowley  to  the  cabin,  where  I  found 
he  had  sent  for  Marble  to  share  our  meal.  The  kind-hearted 
old  gentleman  seemed  desirous  of  adding  this  act  of  civility 
to  the  hundred  others  that  he  had  already  shown  us.  I  had 
received  much  generous  and  liberal  treatment  from  Captain 
Rowley,  but  never  before  had  he  seemed  so  much  disposed 


362  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

to  act  toward  me  as  a  father  would  act  to  a  son  as  on  that 
morning. 

"  I  hope  you  have  done  justice  to  Davis's  cookery,  gen- 
tlemen," he  said,  after  the  assault  on  the  eatables  began  to 
abate  a  little  in  ardor,  "for  this  may  be  the  last  opportunity 
that  will  offer  to  enjoy  it.  I  am  an  Englishman,  and  have 
what  I  hope  is  a  humble  confidence  in  the  superiority  of  an 
English  over  a  French  ship;  but  I  very  well  know  we  never 
get  even  a  French  ship  without  working  for  it;  and  yonder 
gentleman  may  not  leave  us  any  crockery  for  to-morrow. 
He  evidently  means  to  fight  us,  and  I  think  will  do  him- 
self credit." 

"I  believe  you  English  always  go  into  action  against  the 
French  with  a  confidence  of  victory,"  I  remarked. 

"  Why,  we  have  brought  our  lads  up  to  that  feeling,  cer- 
tainly, though  I  would  not  have  you  fancy  I  am  quite  of 
that  way  of  thinking.  I  am  too  old,  and  have  seen  too 
much  service,  Wallingford,  not  to  know  that  every  battle 
is  liable  to  accidents  and  vicissitudes.  There  is  some 
difference  in  service,  I  must  suppose,  though  not  half  as 
much  in  men  as  is  vulgarly  imagined.  The  result  is  in 
the  hands  of  God,  and  I  do  think  we  are  fighting  his  bat- 
tles, in  this  fearful  war;  therefore,  I  trust  he  will  take  care 
of  us." 

I  was  surprised  to  find  Captain  Rowley,  who  was  usually 
cheerful  and  gay,  talking  in  this  manner;  but  it  did  not  be- 
come me  to  pursue  the  subject.  In  a  minute  or  two,  we  rose 
from  table,  and  I  heard  the  order  given  to  the  steward  to 
report  to  the  first  lieutenant,  as  soon  as  the  table  was  cleared 
away,  that  the  cabin  bulkheads  might  be  removed.  Marble 
and  I  then  passed  below  into  a  canvas  berth  that  had  been 
made  for  him,  where  we  could  consult  together  without 
danger  of  interruption.  Just  as  we  reached  the  place,  the 
drum  beat  to  quarters.  This  carried  nearly  every  one  else 
on  deck,  and  left  us  virtually  alone. 

"  Well,  Miles,"  commenced  Marble,  "this  v'y'ge  will  beat 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  363 

any  other  of  our  v'y'ges,  and  give  it  fifty.  We  have  been 
twice  captured,  once  wrecked,  have  seen  a  fight,  and  are 
about  to  feel  another.  What  do  you  think  patriotism  and 
republican  vartoo  require  us  to  do  in  such  a  crisis? " 

This  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  heard  my  mate  mention 
republicanism,  his  habits  being  certainly  as  much  opposed 
to  liberty  as  those  of  Napoleon  himself.  Although  the 
reader  probably  will  not  understand  the  drift  of  his  question, 
it  was  not  lost  on  me.  I  answered,  therefore,  like  one  who 
fully  comprehended  him. 

"I  am  afraid,  Moses,"  said  I,  "there  is  very  little  repub- 
licanism in  France  just  now,  nor  do  I  know  that  resem- 
blance in  governments  makes  nations  friends.  Unless  the 
resemblance  be  complete,  I  rather  think  they  are  more  dis- 
posed to  quarrel  about  the  differences,  than  to  allow  the 
merits  of  the  points  of  affinity.  As  between  England  and 
France,  however,  since  we  are  at  peace  with  both,  we  Amer- 
icans have  nothing  to  do  with  their  quarrels." 

"  I  thought  that  would  be  your  idee.  Miles,  and  yet  it 
would  be  awkward  to  be  in  the  midst  of  a  fight  and  take  no 
part  in  it.  I'd  give  a  hundred  dollars  to  be  on  board  that 
Frenchman  this  minute." 

"  Are  you  so  much  in  love  with  defeat  as  to  wish  to  be 
flogged?" 

"  I  don't  know  how  it  is,  but  it  goes  ag'in  the  grain  to 
take  sides  with  a  John  Bull." 

"There  is  no  necessity  for  taking  sides  with  either, 
though  we  can  remember  how  these  people  have  saved  our 
lives,  how  kind  they  have  been  to  us,  and  that  we  have  lit- 
erally lived  three  months  on  their  bounty.  Neb,  I'm  glad 
to  see,  makes  fair  weather  of  it  on  the  berth-deck." 

"Ay,  there's  more  in  that  than  you  dream  of,  perhaps. 
Mr.  Clements,  the  first  lieutenant  of  this  ship,  is  a  sly  one, 
and  he  thinks  more  of  a  good  seaman  than  some  priests  do  of 
piety.  If  I'm  not  greatly  misled,  he  intends  that  Neb  shan't 
quit  this  ship  till  the  peace." 


364  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  How !  They  surely  cannot  pretend  that  the  black  is  an 
Englishman  ?  " 

"There  are  all  kinds  of  Englishmen,  black  and  white, 
when  seamen  grow  scarce.  Hows'ever,  there  is  no  use  in 
looking  out  for  the  worst;  we  shall  know  all  about  it  when 
the  ship  gets  in.  How  are  we  to  behave,  Miles,  in  this 
here  battle?  It  goes  ag'in  my  feelin's  to  help  an  English- 
man, and  yet  an  old  salt  don't  like  to  keep  under  hatches 
while  powder  is  burning  on  deck." 

"  It  would  be  wrong  for  either  of  us  to  take  any  part  in 
the  action,  since  we  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  quarrel. 
Still,  we  may  appear  on  deck,  unless  ordered  below,  and  I 
dare  say  opportunities  will  offer  to  be  of  use,  especially  in 
assisting  the  hurt.  I  shall  go  on  the  quarter-deck,  but  I 
would  advise  you  not  to  go  higher  than  the  gun-deck.  As 
for  Neb,  I  shall  formally  offer  his  services  in  helping  to 
carry  the  wounded  down." 

"  I  understand  you — we  shall  all  three  sarve  in  the  hu- 
mane gang.  Well,  when  a  man  has  no  business  with  any 
other,  that  may  be  better  than  none.  Your  standing  idle  in 
a  fight  must  be  trying  work !  " 

Marble  and  I  conversed  a  little  longer  on  this  subject, 
when  a  gun  fired  from  the  upper  deck  gave  us  notice  that 
the  game  was  about  to  begin.  Each  hastened  to  his  in- 
tended post  without  more  words.  When  I  reached  ^he  quar- 
ter-deck, everything  denoted  the  eve  of  a  combat.  The  ship 
was  under  short  canvas,  the  men  were  at  quarters,  the  guns 
were  cast  loose,  and  were  levelled,  the  tompions  were  all 
out,  shot  was  distributed  about  the  deck,  and  here  and  there 
some  old  salt  of  a  captain  might  be  seen  squinting  along 
his  gun,  as  if  impatient  to  begin.  A  silence  like  that  of  a 
deserted  church  reigned  throughout  the  ship.  Had  one 
been  on  board  her  intended  adversary  at  that  same  instant 
he  would  have  been  deafened  by  the  clamor,  and  confused 
with  the  hurried  and  disorderly  manner  in  which  prepara- 
tions that  were  long  before  completed  on  board  the  British, 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  365 

were  still  in  progress  on  board  the  Frenchman.  Four  years 
earlier  the  same  want  of  preparation  had  given  Nelson  his 
great  victory  at  the  Nile.  The  French,  in  order  to  clear 
their  outer  batteries,  had  lumbered  those  inshore,  and  when 
half  their  enemies  unexpectedly  passed  inside,  they  found 
their  ships  were  not  prepared  to  fire — ships  that,  were  vir- 
tually beaten  before  they  had  discharged  an  effective  shot. 

"  Wallingford,"  said  my  old  friend  the  captain  as  soon  as 
I  approached  him,  "  you  have  nothing  to  do  here.  It  would 
not  be  proper  for  you  to  take  a  part  in  this  action,  and  it 
would  be  folly  to  expose  yourself  without  an  object." 

"  I  am  quite  aware  of  all  this,  Captain  Rowley,  but  I  have 
thought  your  kindness  to  me  was  so  great  as  to  permit  me 
to  be  a  looker-on.  I  may  be  of  some  service  to  the  wounded, 
if  to  nothing  else ;  and  I  hope  you  think  me  too  much  of  an 
officer  to  get  in  the  way." 

"  I  am  not  certain,  sir,  I  ought  to  permit  anything  of  the 
sort,"  returned  the  old  man,  gravely.  "This  fighting  is 
serious  business,  and  no  one  should  meddle  with  it  whose 
duty  does  not  command  it  of  him.  See  here,  sir,"  pointing 
at  the  French  frigate,  which  was  about  two  cables'  lengths 
distant,  with  her  topgallant-sails  clewed  up  and  the  courses 
in  the  brails;  "in  ten  minutes  we  shall  be  hard  at  it,  and 
I  leave  it  to  yourself  to  say  whether  prudence  does  not  re- 
quire that  you  should  go  below." 

I  had  expected  this,  and  instead  of  contesting  the  matter 
I  bowed  and  walked  off  the  quarter-deck,  as  if  about  to 
comply.  "Out  of  sight,  out  of  mind,"  I  thought;  it  would 
be  time  enough  to  go  below  when  I  had  seen  the  beginning 
of  the  affair.  In  the  waist  I  passed  the  marines,  drawn  up 
in  military  array,  with  their  officer  as  attentive  to  dressing 
them  in  line  as  if  the  victory  depended  on  its  accuracy.  On 
the  forecastle,  I  found  Neb,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets, 
watching  the  manoeuvres  of  the  French  as  the  cat  watches 
those  of  the  mouse.  The  fellow's  eye  was  alive  with  in- 
terest, and  I  saw  it  was  useless  to  think  of  sending  him  be- 


366  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

low.  As  for  the  officers,  they  had  taken  their  cue  from  the 
captain,  and  only  smiled  good-naturedly  as  I  passed  them. 
The  first  lieutenant,  however,  was  an  exception.  He  never 
had  appeared  well  disposed  toward  us,  and,  I  make  no 
doubt,  had  I  not  been  so  hospitably  taken  into  the  cabin,  we 
should  all  have  got  an  earlier  taste  of  his  humor. 

"  There  is  too  much  good  stuff  in  that  fellow,"  he  dryly 
remarked,  in  passing,  pointing  toward  Neb  at  the  same  time, 
"for  him  to  be  doing  nothing  at  a  moment  like  this.'^ 

"  We  are  neutrals  as  respects  France,  Mr.  Clements,"  I 
answered,  "  and  it  would  not  be  right  for  us  to  take  part  in 
your  quarrels.  I  will  not  hesitate  to  say,  however,  that  I 
have  received  so  much  kindness  on  board  the  Briton  that  I 
should  feel  miserable  in  not  being  permitted  to  share  your 
danger.  Something  may  turn  up  that  will  enable  me  to  be 
of  assistance — ay,  and  Neb,  too." 

The  man  gave  me  a  keen  look,  muttered  something  be- 
tween his  teeth,  and  walked  aft,  whither  he  was  proceeding 
when  we  met.  I  looked  in  the  direction  in  which  he  went, 
and  could  see  he  was  speaking  in  a  surly  way  to  Captain 
Rowley.  The  old  gentleman  cast  a  look  forward,  shook  a 
finger  at  me,  then  smiled  in  his  benevolent  way,  and  turned, 
as  I  thought,  to  look  for  one  of  the  midshipmen  who  acted 
as  his  aids.  At  that  moment  the  Frenchman  went  in  stays, 
delivering  his  whole  broadside,  from  aft  forward,  as  the 
guns  bore.  The  shot  told  on  the  British  spars  smartly, 
though  only  two  hulled  her.  As  a  matter  of  course,  this 
turned  the  thoughts  of  Captain  Rowley  to  the  main  business 
in  hand,  and  I  was  forgotten.  As  for  Neb,  he  immediately 
made  himself  useful.  A  shot  cut  the  main-spring-stay  just 
above  his  head,  and  before  I  had  time  to  speak  the  fellow 
seized  a  stopper,  and  caught  one  of  the  ends  of  the  stay,  ap- 
plied the  stopper,  and  was  hard  at  work  in  bringing  the  rope 
into  its  proper  place,  and  in  preparing  it  again  to  bear  a 
strain.  The  boatswain  applauded  his  activity,  sending  two 
or  three  forecastle-men  to  help  him.     From  that  moment 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  36/ 

Neb  was  as  busy  as  a  bee  aloft,  now  appearing  through 
openings  in  the  smoke,  on  this  yard-arm,  now  on  that,  his 
face  on  a  broad  grin  whenever  business  of  more  importance 
than  common  was  to  be  done.  The  Briton  might  have  had 
older  and  more  experienced  seamen  at  work  in  her  rigging 
that  day,  but  not  one  that  was  more  active,  more  ready  when 
told  what  to  do,  or  more  athletic.  The  gait^  de  coeur  with 
which  this  black  exerted  himself  in  the  midst  of  that  scene 
of  strife,  clamor,  and  bloodshed,  has  always  presented  itself 
to  my  mind  as  truly  wonderful. 

Captain  Rowley  did  not  alter  his  course,  or  fire  a  gun,  in 
answer  to  the  salute  he  received,  though  the  two  ships  were 
scarcely  a  cable's  length  asunder  when  the  Frenchman  be- 
gan. The  Briton  stood  steadily  on,  and  the  two  ships  passed 
each  other,  within  pistol-shot,  a  minute  or  two  later,  when 
we  let  fly  all  our  larboard  guns.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  real  war,  and  warm  enough  it  was  for  half  an  hour  or 
more — our  ship  coming  round  as  soon  as  she  had  fired,  when 
the  two  frigates  closed  broadside  and  broadside,  both  run- 
ning off  nearly  dead  before  the  wind.  I  do  not  know  how 
it  happened,  but  when  the  head-yards  were  swung,  I  found 
myself  pulling  at  the  forebrace  like  a  dray  horse.  The  mas- 
ter's mate,  who  commanded  these  braces,  thanked  me  for  my 
assistance  in  a  cheerful  voice,  saying,  "  We'll  thrash  'em  in 
an  hour,  Captain  Wallingford."  This  was  the  first  con- 
sciousness I  had  that  my  hands  had  entered  into  the  affair 
at  all! 

I  had  now  an  opportunity  of  ascertaining  what  a  very 
different  thing  it  is  to  be  a  spectator  in  such  a  scene  from 
being  an  actor.  Ashamed  of  the  forgetfulness  that  had  sent 
me  to  the  brace,  I  walked  on  the  quarter-deck,  where  blood 
was  already  flowing  freely.  Everybody  but  myself  was  at 
work  for  life  or  death.  In  1803,  that  mongrel  gun,  the  car- 
ronade,  had  come  into  general  use,  and  those  on  the  quarter- 
deck of  the  Briton  were  beginning  to  fly  round  and  look 
their  owners  in  the  face,  when  they  vomited  their  contents, 


368  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

as  they  grew  warm  with  the  explosion.  Captain  Rowley, 
Clements,  and  the  master,  were  all  here,  the  first  and  last  at- 
tending to  the  trimming  of  the  sails,  while  the  first  lieu- 
tenant looked  a  little  after  the  battery,  and  a  little  at  every- 
thing else.  Scarce  a  minute  passed  that  shot  did  not  strike 
somewhere,  though  it  was  principally  aloft;  and  the  wails 
of  the  hurt,  the  revolting  part  of  every  serious  combat,  be- 
gan to  mingle  in  the  roar  of  the  contest.  The  English,  I 
observed,  fought  sullenly,  though  they  fought  with  all  their 
hearts.  Occasionally,  a  cheer  would  arise  in  some  part  of 
the  ship;  but  these,  and  the  cries  of  the  hurt,  were  almost 
all  the  sounds  that  were  heard,  except  those  of  the  conflict, 
with  an  occasional  call,  or  a  word  of  encouragement  from 
some  officer. 

"  Warm  work,  Wallingford ! "  Captain  Rowley  said  as  I 
came  close  upon  him  in  the  smoke.  "  You  have  no  busi- 
ness here,  but  I  like  to  see  the  face  of  a  friend  notwith- 
standing. You  have  been  looking  about  you ;  how  do  you 
think  it  is  going?  " 

"  This  ship  will — must  beat,  Captain  Rowley.  Her  order 
and  regularity  are  most  beautiful." 

"  Ay — I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  as  much,  Wallingford,  for 
I  know  you  are  a  seaman.  Just  go  down  on  the  gun -deck 
and  cast  an  eye  around  you;  then  come  up  and  tell  me  how 
things  look  there." 

Here  I  was  fairly  enlisted  as  an  aid.  Down  I  went, 
however,  and  such  a  scene  I  never  had  witnessed  before 
certainly.  Although  the  season  had  well  advanced  into 
autumn,  the  weather  was  so  warm  that  half  the  men  had 
stripped  for  the  toil — and  toil  it  is,  to  work  heavy  guns,  for 
hours  at  a  time,  under  the  excitement  of  battle;  a  toil  that 
may  not  be  felt  at  the  time,  perhaps,  but  which  leaves  a 
weariness  like  that  of  disease  behind  it.  Many  of  the  sea- 
men fought  in  their  trousers  alone;  their  long,  hard  cues 
lying  on  their  naked  backs,  which  resembled  those  of  so 
many  athletae,  prepared  for  the  arena.     The  gun-deck  was 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  369 

full  of  smoke,  the  priming  burned  in-board  producing  that 
effect,  though  the  powder  which  exploded  in  the  guns  was 
sent,  with  its  flames  and  sulphurous  wreaths,  in  long  lines 
from  the  ports  toward  the  enemy.  The  place  appeared  a 
sort  of  pandemonium  to  me.  I  could  perceive  men  moving 
about  in  the  smoke,  rammers  and  sponges  whirling  in  their 
hands,  guns  reeling  inward,  ay,  even  leaping  from  the  deck, 
under  the  violence  of  the  recoils,  officers  signing  with  their 
swords  to  add  emphasis  to  their  orders,  boys  running  to  and 
fro  on  their  way  to  and  from  the  magazines,  shot  tossed 
from  hand  to  hand,  and  to  give  its  fiercest  character  to  all, 
the  dead  and  dying  weltering  in  their  blood  amidships. 

Of  the  manoeuvres  of  this  combat  I  know  scarcely  any- 
thing. My  attention  was  drawn  in-board;  for  having 
nothing  to  do,  I  could  not  but  watch  the  effect  of  the  enemy's 
fire  on  the  Briton,  as  well  as  the  manner  in  which  the  Eng- 
lish repaid  all  they  received.  While  standing  near  the 
mainmast,  in  the  battery  that  was  not  engaged.  Marble  made 
me  out  in  the  smoke  and  came  up  to  speak  to  me. 

"  Them  Frenchmen  are  playing  their  parts  like  men,"  he 
said.  "  There's  a  shot  just  gone  through  the  cook's  coppers, 
and  another  through  the  boat.  By  the  Lord  Harry,  if  the 
boys  on  this  deck  do  not  bestir  themselves,  we  shall  get 
licked.  I  wouldn't  be  licked  by  a  Frenchman  on  any  ac- 
count. Miles.  Even  little  Kitty  would  point  her  finger  at 
me. 

"We  are  only  passengers,  you  know,  Moses;  and  can 
have  little  concern  with  victory,  or  defeat,  so  long  as  the 
striped  and  starred  bunting  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  credit 
of  the  thing." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that.  Miles.  I  do  not  like  being 
flogged,  even  as  a  passenger.  There!  just  look  at  that, 
now !  Two  or  three  more  such  raps  and  half  our  guns  will 
be  silenced!  " 

Two  shot  had  come  in  together  as  Marble  thus  interrupted 
himself;  one  of  them  knocking  away  the  side  of  a  port, 
24  • 


370  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

while  the  other  laid  four  men  of  its  gun  on  the  deck.  This 
gun  was  on  the  point  of  being  discharged  as  the  injury  was 
inflicted;  but  the  loss  of  its  captain  prevented  it  from  being 
fired.  The  lieutenant  of  the  division  caught  the  match 
from  the  fallen  seaman,  gave  it  a  puff  with  his  breath,  and 
applied  it  to  the  priming.  As  the  gun  came  leaping  in,  the 
lieutenant  turned  his  head  to  see  where  he  could  best  find 
men  to  supply  the  place  of  those  who  had  been  killed  or 
wounded.  His  eyes  fell  on  us.  He  asked  no  questions; 
but  merely  looked  in  our  direction. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  Marble,  stripping  off  his  jacket  and 
taking  the  tobacco  from  his  mouth.  "In  one  moment. 
Just  hold  on  till  I'm  ready." 

I  scarce  knew  whether  to  remonstrate  or  not;  but  hard  at 
it  he  went;  and,  delighted  by  his  zeal,  the  officer  clapped 
-him  on  the  back,  leaving  him  to  act  as  captain  of  the  gun. 
Afraid  the  contagion  might  extend  to  myself,  I  turned, 
ascended  the  ladder,  and  was  immediately  on  the  quarter- 
deck again.  Here  I  found  old  Capain  Rowley,  with  his  hat 
off,  cheering  his  men — the  Frenchman's  main-topmast  hav- 
ing just  gone  over  his  side.  It  was  not  a  time  to  make  my 
report,  nor  was  any  needed  just  then ;  so  I  walked  aft  as  far 
as  the  taffrail,  in  order  to  get  out  of  the  way,  and  to  make 
my  observations  as  much  removed  from  the  smoke  as  pos- 
sible. This  was  the  only  opportunity  I  enjoyed  of  noting 
the  relative  positions,  as  well  as  conditions,  of  the  two 
vessels. 

The  Briton  had  suffered  heavily  aloft;  but  all  her  princi- 
pal spars  still  stood.  On  the  other  hand,  her  antagonist 
had  lost  both  main  and  mizzen-topmasts,  and  her  fire  had 
materially  slackened  within  the  last  fifteen  minutes.  She 
was  falling  more  under  a  quarter-raking  fire,  too,  from  her 
people's  losing  command  of  their  ship;  the  two  frigates 
having  some  time  before  come  by  the  wind — the  English- 
man a  little  on  the  Frenchman's  weather-quarter.  As  is 
usual,  in  a  heavy  cannonade  and  a  moderate  breeze,  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  37 1 

wind  had  died  away,  or  become  neutralized,  by  the  concus- 
sions of  the  guns,  and  neither  combatant  moved  much  from 
the  position  he  occupied.  Still  the  Briton  had  her  yards 
knowingly  braced,  while  those  of  her  enemy  were  pretty 
much  at  sixes  and  sevens.  Under  such  circumstances,  it 
was  not  difficult  to  predict  the  result  of  the  engagement; 
more  especially  as  the  spirits  of  the  Britons  seemed  to  be 
rising  with  the  duration  of  the  combat. 

I  was  still  making  my  observations  when  I  heard  the 
crack  of  a  shot  and  the  ripping  of  plank  on  the  forward  part 
of  the  quarter-deck.  A  little  group  collected  around  a  fall- 
ing man,  and  I  thought  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  Captain 
Rowley's  uniform  and  epaulettes  in  the  sufferer.  In  an  in- 
stant I  was  on  the  spot.  Sure  enough,  there  was  my  old 
friend  grievously  wounded.  Clements  was  also  there. 
Catching  my  eye,  he  observed : 

"  As  you  are  doing  nothing,  sir,  will  you  assist  in  carry- 
ing Captain  Rowley  below? '' 

I  did  not  like  the  manner  in  which  this  was  said,  nor  the 
expression  of  the  first  lieutenant's  eye  while  saying  it. 
They  seemed  to  me  to  add:  "I  shall  now  command  this 
ship,  and  we  shall  see  if  new  lords  don't  produce  new  laws." 
I  complied,  however,  of  course,  and,  aided  by  two  of  his  own 
servants,  I  got  the  poor  old  man  into  the  gun-room.  The 
instant  the  surgeon  cast  his  eyes  on  the  injuries,  I  saw  by 
his  countenance  there  was  no  hope.  His  words  soon  con- 
firmed the  bad  news. 

"The  captain  cannot  live  half  an  hour,"  this  gentleman 
said  to  me  aside,  "  and  all  we  can  do  will  be  to  give  him 
what  he  asks  for.  At  present  he  is  stupefied  by  the  shock 
of  the  blow,  but  in  a  few  minutes  he  will  probably  ask  for 
water,  or  wine  and  water;  I  wish,  sir,  you  would  indulge 
him  in  his  wishes,  for  you  can  have  no  duty  to  call  you  on 
deck.  This  will  be  a  lucky  hit  for  Clements,  who  will  run 
off  with  more  than  half  the  credit  of  the  battle,  though  I 
fancy  the  Frenchman  has  as  much  as  he  wants  already." 


372  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

And  SO  it  turned  out,  literally,  in  the  end.  About  twenty 
minutes  after  I  went  below,  during  which  time  the  Briton 
did  most  of  the  fighting,  we  heard  the  cheer  of  victory  on 
deck.  These  sounds  appeared  to  cause  the  wounded  man  to 
revive. 

"  What  means  that,  Wallingford?  "  he  asked  in  a  stronger 
voice  than  I  could  have  thought  it  possible  for  him  to  use. 
"What  do  those  cheers  mean,  my  young  friend?  " 

"They  mean.  Captain  Rowley,  that  you  have  conquered 
— that  you  are  master  of  the  French  frigate." 

"  Master! — am  I  master  of  my  own  life?  Of  what  use  is 
victory  to  me,  now?  I  shall  die — die  soon,  Wallingford, 
and  there  will  be  an  end  of  it  all!  My  poor  wife  will  call 
this  a  melancholy  victory." 

Alas!  what  could  I  say?  These  words  were  only  too  true 
as  respects  himself,  and,  I  dare  say,  as  respected  his  wife 
also.  Die  he  did,  and  in  my  presence,  and  that  calmly, 
with  all  his  senses  about  him;  but,  I  could  see,  he  had  his 
doubts  whether  a  little  lustre  like  that  which  attended  his 
end  was  fulfilling  all  the  objects  of  his  being.  The  near 
view  of  death  places  a  man  on  a  moral  eminence,  whence  he 
commands  prospects  before  and  behind,  on  each  side  and 
on  every  side,  enabling  him  to  overlook  the  whole  scene  of 
life  from  its  commencement  to  its  close,  and  to  form  an 
opinion  of  his  own  place  in  a  drama  that  is  about  to  close. 
Like  many  of  those  who  exhibit  themselves  for  our  amuse- 
ment, and  to  purchase  our  applause,  he  is  only  too  apt  to 
quit  the  stage  less  satisfied  with  his  own  performances  than 
the  thoughtless  multitude,  who,  regarding  merely  the  surfaces 
of  things,  are  too  often  loudest  in  their  approbation  when 
there  is  the  least  to  praise. 

I  shall  pass  over  the  next  ten  days,  with  a  very  brief  al- 
lusion to  their  events.  The  first  proof  I  had  of  Mr.  Clements 
being  commanding  officer  was  my  being  transferred  from 
the  cabin  to  the  gun-room.  It  is  true,  there  was  no  want  of 
space  in  my  new  apartment,  for  officering  and  manning  the 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  3/3 

prize  had  left  several  state-rooms  vacant  in  the  Britons' 
gun-room,  which  fell  to  the  shares  of  the  French  prisoners 
and  myself.  Poor  Captain  Rowley  was  preserved  in  spirits; 
and  then  things  went  on  pretty  much  as  before,  with  the  ex- 
ception that  our  crippled  condition  and  reduced  crew  ren- 
dered us  no  longer  anxious  to  fall  in  with  Frenchmen.  I 
may  say,  in  this  place  also,  that  now  the  excitement  which 
had  carried  him  away  was  gone,  Marble  was  profoundly 
ashamed  of  the  part  he  had  taken  in  the  late  affair.  He  had 
fought  under  English  colors  once  more;  and,  though  I  sel- 
dom dared  to  allude  to  the  thing,  it  is  my  opinion  he  heartily 
regretted  his  conduct  to  his  dying  day.  As  for  Neb,  all 
seemed  right  enough  in  his  eyes;  for,  though  he  well  under- 
stood the  distinctions  between  flags  and  countries,  he  always 
imagined  it  a  duty  to  stick  by  the  craft  in  which  he  hap- 
pened to  be. 

Ten  days  after  I  had  been  living  under  the  rkgitne  of 
"  new  lords  and  new  laws,"  we  fell  in  with  a  frigate,  in  the 
chops  of  the  Channel,  and  exchanged  signals  with  her. 
The  reader  will  judge  of  Marble's  and  my  dissatisfaction 
when  we  heard  it  announced  that  the  ship  which  was  then 
fast  approaching  us  was  the  Speedy.  There  was  no  help 
for  it,  however;  she  was  already  within  gunshot,  and  soon 
rounded-to,  within  hail  of  the  Briton,  which  ship  had  hove-to, 
to  wait  for  her.  In  a  few  minutes  Lord  Harry  Dermond,  in 
person,  was  alongside  of  us  in  a  boat,  to  show  his  orders  to 
Captain  Rowley,  and  report  himself,  as  the  junior  captain. 
I  could  not  quit  the  quarter-deck,  from  a  desire  to  ascertain, 
if  possible,  what  had  become  of  Sennit  and  his  companions, 
though  prudence  dictated  concealment. 

Clements  met  the  young  nobleman  at  the  gangway,  and, 
apologizing  for  not  going  on  board  the  Speedy,  on  account 
of  the  state  of  his  boats,  reported  the  late  action  and  its 
results.  Lord  Harry  then  found  himself  the  senior  instead 
of  the  junior  commander,  and  he  immediately  began  to  ask 
questions.     He  was  in  the  midst  of  these  interrogatories 


374  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

when  his  eye  suddenly  fell  on  me.  He  and  Clements  were 
walking  on  the  quarter-deck  together,  and  I  had  gone  into 
the  gangway  to  escape  his  notice,  when  this  unexpected  rec- 
ognition took  place.  It  occurred  as  the  two  were  turning 
in  their  walk,  and  were  so  near  me  that  I  could  hear  what 
was  said  between  them. 

"  Whom  have  you  there  leaning  against  the  cutter,  Mr. 
Clements?  "  demanded  the  captain  of  the  Speedy.  "It's  a 
face  I  know — some  old  shipmate  of  mine,  I  fancy." 

"  I  rather  think  not,  my  lord — it's  a  Yankee  we  picked 
up  at  sea  in  a  boat,  a  Captain  Wallingford,  of  the  American 
ship  Dawn.  His  vessel  foundered  in  a  gale,  and  all  hands 
were  lost  but  this  gentleman,  his  mate,  and  a  negro.  We 
have  had  them  on  board,  now,  more  than  three  months." 

A  long,  low  whistle  escaped  from  Lord  Harry  Dermond, 
who  immediately  walked  up  to  me,  raised  his  hat,  and  com- 
menced a  very  disagreeable  sort  of  a  dialogue  by  saying: 

"Your  servant,  Mr.  Wallingford!  We  meet  under  very 
unusual  circumstances,  and  somewhat  often.  The  last  time 
was  at  a  rather  interesting  moment  to  me,  and  one  in  which 
I  was  so  much  engaged  that  I  had  not  leisure  properly  to 
pay  my  respects  to  you.  Mr.  Clements,  I  have  a  little  busi- 
ness to  transact  with  this  gentleman,  and  must  ask  the  favor 
of  your  company  and  his  for  a  few  minutes  in  your  cabin." 

No  objection  could  be  raised  to  this  request;  and  I  fol- 
lowed the  two  officers  into  the  Briton's  cabin. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

O  I  hae  scarce  to  lay  me  on, 

If  kingly  fields  were  ance  my  ain  ; 

Wi'  the  moor-cock  on  the  mountain-bree. 

But  hardship  na'er  can  daunton  me. 

Scottish  Song. 

There  was  an  air  of  cool  deliberation  about  Lord  Harry 
Dermond,  which  satisfied  me  I  should  have  to  pass  through 
a  trying  ordeal ;    and  I  prepared  myself  for  the  occasion. 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  375 

Nothing  was  said  until  all  three  of  us  were  in  the  after- 
cabin,  when  Clements  and  his  visitor  took  seats  on  the  sofa, 
and  a  motion  was  made  to  me  to  occupy  a  chair.  Then  Lord 
Harry  Dermond  commenced  the  discourse,  in  a  manner 
more  serious  than  I  could  have  wished. 

"Mr.  Wallingford,"  he  said,  "there  is  little  need  of  pre- 
liminaries between  you  and  me.  I  recollected  your  ship, 
when  the  Black  Prince  and  Speedy  were  in  the  act  of  clos- 
ing with  the  Frenchmen,  three  months  since;  and  I  need 
scarcely  say  that  the  manner  in  which  she  got  back  to  the 
place  where  I  then  saw  her,  requires  an  explanation  at  your 
hands." 

"  It  shall  be  given  to  you,  my  lord.  Believing  you  had 
no  right  to  send  in  the  Dawn,  and  knowing  that  a  detention 
of  any  length  would  prove  my  ruin,  I  regained  possession 
of  my  own  by  the  best  means  that  offered.'^ 

"This  is  at  least  frank,  sir.  You  mean  to  be  understood 
that  you  rose  on  my  people  in  the  night,  murdered  them, 
and  that  you  subsequently  lost  your  vessel  from  a  want  of 
force  to  take  care  of  her." 

"This  is  partly  true,  and  partly  a  mistake.  I  certainly 
should  not  have  lost  my  ship  had  I  been  as  strong-handed 
in  the  gale  in  which  she  was  destroyed,  as  she  was  the  day 
she  left  home ;  and  she  would  have  been  as  strong  in  that 
gale,  had  we  never  fallen  in  with  the  Speedy." 

"  Which  is  an  indirect  manner  of  saying  that  the  wreck 
was  owing  to  us  ?  " 

"I  shall  very  directly  say,  that  I  think  it  was;  though  by 
indirect  means." 

"  Well,  sir,  on  that  point  it  is  not  probable  we  shall  ever 
agree.  You  cannot  suppose  that  the  servants  of  the  King 
of  Great  Britain  will  submit  to  your  American  mode  of  con- 
struing public  law;  but  will  easily  understand  that  we  leave 
such  matters  to  our  own  admiralty  judges.  It  is  a  matter  of 
more  moment  to  me,  just  now,  to  ascertain  what  has  become 
of  the  officers  and  men  that  were  put  in  charge  of  your  ship. 


3/6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

I  saw  the  vessel,  some  time  after  I  put  Mr.  Sennit  and  his 
party  on  board  you,  in  your  possession ;  that  we  ascertained 
by  means  of  our  glasses;  and  you  now  admit  that  you  re- 
took your  vessel  from  these  men.  What  has  become  of  the 
prize  crew  ?  " 

I  briefly  related  the  manner  in  which  we  had  regained  the 
possession  of  the  Dawn.  The  two  English  officers  listened 
attentively,  and  I  could  discern  a  smile  of  incredulity  on 
the  countenance  of  Clements;  while  the  captain  of  the 
Speedy  seemed  far  from  satisfied — though  he  was  not  so 
much  disposed  to  let  his  real  opinion  be  known. 

"This  is  a  very  well-concocted  and  well-told  tale,  my 
lord,"  said  the  first,  with  a  sneer;  "but  I  doubt  whether  it 
find  many  believers  in  the  British  service." 

"  The  British  service,  sir,"  I  coldly  retorted,  "  is,  like  all 
others,  liable  to  reverses  and  accidents." 
•  "  Not  exactly  of  this  nature,  Mr.  Wallingford,  you  will 
yourself  admit,  on  reflection.  But  I  beg  pardon,  my  lord; 
this  is  your  affair — not  mine;  and  I  have  been  indiscreet 
in  speaking." 

Lord  Harry  Dermond  looked  as  if  he  concurred  in  this 
sentiment.  He  had  the  pride  of  official  rank,  and  that  of 
private  rank,  to  the  usual  degree;  and  did  not  exactly  like 
the  notion  that  one  so  much  his  inferior  in  both  should  take 
an  affair  so  peculiarly  his  own  out  of  his  hands.  He  made 
a  cold  acknowledging  bow,  therefore,  in  reply,  and  paused 
a  moment,  like  a  man  who  reflected,  ere  he  continued  the 
discourse. 

"You  must  be  aware,  Mr.  Wallingford,  it  is  my  duty  to 
inquire  closely  into  this  matter,"  he  at  length  resumed.  "  I 
am  just  out  of  port,  where  my  ship  has  been  lying  to  refit, 
several  weeks,  and  it  is  not  probable  that  either  of  my  offi- 
cers would  be  in  England  without  reporting  himself,  had  he 
reached  home." 

"  It  is  quite  probable,  my  lord,  that  neither  has  reached 
home.     I  saw  them  picked  up,  with  my  own  eyes,  and  by 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  3/7 

what  appeared  to  me  to  be  an  outward-bound  West  India- 
man.  In  that  case,  they  have,  most  probably,  all  been  car- 
ried to  one  of  the  West  India  islands." 

Here  Clements  handed  Lord  Harry  Dermond  a  paper 
with  something  written  on  it,  in  pencil,  which  the  latter 
read.  After  running  his  eyes  over  it,  the  captain  nodded 
his  head,  and  the  lieutenant  quitted  the  cabin.  While  he 
was  absent,  my  companion,  in  a  polite  manner,  gave  me  the 
particulars  of  the  combat  I  had  witnessed,  going  so  far  as  to 
direct  my  attention  to  a  paper  he  had  brought  on  board,  to 
show  to  Captain  Rowley,  and  which  contained  the  English 
official  account  of  the  whole  affair.  On  glancing  at  it,  I 
saw  that  the  presence  of  the  Dawn,  on  that  occasion,  was 
mentioned  in  the  report;  the  name  of  the  ship  being  given, 
with  an  allusion  that  was  not  very  clear  to  the  general 
reader,  but  which  was  plain  enough  to  me.  It  was  not  long, 
however,  before  Clements  returned,  and,  without  much  cer- 
emony, he  informed  me  that  the  gun-room  mess  waited  my 
appearance  to  sit  down  to  dinner.  On  this  hint,  I  rose  and 
took  my  leave,  though  I  had  time  to  see  Marble  enter  the 
cabin,  and  Neb  standing  by  the  scuttle-butt,  under  the 
charge  of  the  sentinel,  ere  I  dipped  my  head  under  hatches. 

The  dinner  lasted  near  an  hour,  and  Lord  Harry  Dermond 
civilly  waited  all  that  time  before  he  again  summoned  me 
to  the  cabin.  I  was  surprised  to  find  Marble  in  the  outer 
cabin,  Neb  near  the  door,  in  waiting,  and  the  two  officers 
with  pen,  ink,  and  paper  before  them,  where  they  had  been 
left  by  me. 

"  Mr.  Wallingford,"  Lord  Harry  commenced,  "  I  hold  it  to 
be  no  more  than  fair  to  let  you  know  that  your  mate's  ac- 
count of  the  manner  in  which  the  Speedy's  people  got  out  of 
the  Dawn,  and  your  own,  do  not  agree  in  a  single  particu- 
lar. Here  is  his  statement,  taken  down  by  myself  from  his 
own  words;  if  you  are  disposed  to  hear  it,  I  will  read  you 
what  he  says."  * 

"  I  do  not  well  see  how  Mr.  Marble  can  contradict  me  and 


37^  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

tell  the  truth,  my  lord — but  it  were  better  I  should  hear  his 
statement." 

"*I  was  first  mate  of  the  Dawn,  of  New  York,  Miles  Wall- 
ingford  master  and  owner.  Captured  and  ordered  in  by 
Speedy,  as  known.  Three  days  after  parting  company  with 
the  frigate,  with  Mr.  Sennit  as  prize  master.  Captain  Wall- 
ingford  and  I  commenced  reasoning  with  that  gentleman  on 
the  impropriety  of  sending  in  a  neutral  and  breaking  up  a 
promising  voyage,  which  so  overcame  the  said  Lieutenant 
Sennit,  in  his  mind,  that  he  consented  to  take  the  ship's 
yawl,  with  a  suitable  stock  of  provisions  and  water,  and  give 
us  up  the  ship.  Accordingly,  the  boat  was  lowered,  properly 
stowed,  the  most  tender  anxiety  manifested  for  the  party 
that  was  to  go  in  her,  when  the  English  took  their  leave 
with  tears  in  their  eyes,  and  hearty  good  wishes  for  our  safe 
arrival  at  Hamburg.' " 

"  Am  I  to  understand  you  seriously.  Lord  Harry  Dermond, 
that  my  mate  has  actually  given  you  this  account  of  the 
affair,  for  fact?" 

"  Most  seriously,  sir.  I  believe  he  even  offered  to  swear 
to  it,  though  I  dispensed  with  that  ceremony.  Here  is  the 
statement  of  the  black.  Perhaps  you  would  wish  to  hear 
that  also?" 

"  Anything,  my  lord,  it  is  your  pleasure  to  communicate." 

"  Nebuchadnezzar  Clawbonny  says,  *  he  belonged  to  the 
Dawn — was  left  in  her,  when  captured  by  Speedy,  and  was 
in  her  when  wrecked.  Captain  Wallingford  ordered  Mr. 
Sennit  to  quit  his  ship,  or  he  would  make  him;  and  Mr. 
Sennit  obeyed  Master  Miles,  of  course.'  But  I  will  read  no 
more  of  this,  as  a  slave's  statement  can  hardly  be  relied  on. 
Perhaps  we  ought  not  to  have  received  it,  Mr.  Clements?  " 

"Your  pardon,  my  lord;  it  is  our  duty  to  protect  his 
Majesty's  subjects,  in  the  best  mode  we  can." 

"  That  may  be  true,  sir;  but  certain  great  principles  ought 
never  to  be  overlooked,  even  when  doing  our  duty.  You 
perceive,  Mr.  Wallingford,  that  your  companions  contradict 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  3/9 

your  own  account  of  this  affair ;  and  the  most  unpleasant 
suspicions  are  awakened.  I  should  never  justify  myself  to 
my  superiors,  were  I  to  neglect  putting  you  under  arrest,  and 
carrying  you  all  in  for  trial." 

"  If  my  companions  have  been  so  ill-judging  as  to  make 
the  statement  you  say,  I  can  only  regret  it.  I  have  told  you 
the  truth ;  and  I  can  add  no  more.  As  for  the  future,  I  do 
not  suppose  any  representation  of  mine  will  induce  you  to 
change  your  decision." 

"  You  carry  it  off  well,  sir;  and  I  hope  you  will  maintain 
the  same  appearance  of  innocence  to  the  end.  The  lives  of 
the  king's  subjects  are  not  to  be  taken  with  impunity,  never- 
theless.'' 

"  Nor  is  the  property  of  an  American  citizen,  I  trust,  my 
lord.  Had  I  used  force  to  regain  my  ship,  and  had  I  thrown 
the  prize  crew  into  the  sea,  I  conceive  I  would  have  been 
doing  no  more  than  was  my  duty." 

"This  is  well,  sir;  and  I  hope,  for  your  sake,  that  an 
English  jury  will  view  the  affair  in  the  same  light.  At  pres- 
ent, prepare  to  go  on  board  the  Speedy— for  you  must  not 
be  separated  from  the  important  testimony  we  can  find  in 
that  ship.  As  for  the  citizens  you  mention,  they  are  bound 
to  submit  to  the  decision  of  the  admiralty  courts,  and  not  to 
take  the  law  into  their  own  hands." 

"  We  shall  see,  my  lord.  When  this  case  reaches  my  own 
country,  we  shall  probably  hear  more  of  it." 

I  uttered  this  in  a  sufficiently  magnificent  manner;  and, 
to  own  the  truth,  I  felt  a  little  magnificently  at  the  time.  I 
was  then  young,  not  three-and-twenty ;  and  I  thought  of  my 
country,  her  independence,  her  justice,  her  disposition  to  do 
right,  her  determination  to  submit  to  no  wrongs,  and  her 
disregard  of  the  expedient  when  principles  were  concerned 
— much  as  young  people  think  of  the  immaculate  qualities 
of  their  own  parents.  According  to  the  decisions  of  judges 
of  this  latter  class,  there  would  not  be  a  liar,  a  swindler,  a 
cheat,  or  a  mercenary  scoundrel  living;  but  the  earth  would 


380  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

be  filled  with  so  many  suffering  saints  that  are  persecuted 
for  their  virtues.  According  to  the  notions  of  most  Ameri- 
can citizens  of  my  age,  the  very  name  they  bore  ought  to  be 
a  protection  to  them  in  any  part  of  the  world,  under  the  pen- 
alty of  incurring  the  republic's  just  indignation.  How  far 
my  anticipations  were  realized,  will  be  seen  in  the  sequel; 
and  I  beg  the  American  reader,  in  particular,  to  restrain  his 
natural  impatience,  until  he  can  learn  the  facts  in  the  regu- 
lar order  of  the  narrative.  I  can  safely  promise  him,  that 
should  he  receive  them  in  the  proper  spirit,  with  a  desire  to 
ascertain  the  truth  only,  and  not  to  uphold  bloated  and  un- 
tenable theories,  he  will  be  a  wiser,  and  probably  a  more 
modest  man,  for  the  instruction  that  is  to  be  thus  gleaned 
from  the  incidents  it  will  be  my  painful  office  to  record. 
As  for  Lord  Harry  Dermond,  the  threatened  indignation  of 
the  great  American  nation  gave  him  very  little  concern. 
He  probably  cared  a  vast  deal  more  for  one  frown  from  the 
admiral  who  commanded  at  Plymouth,  than  for  the  virtuous 
resentment  of  the  President  and  Congress  of  the  United 
States  of  America.  I  am  writing  of  the  close  of  the  year 
1803,  it  will  be  remembered;  a  remote  period  in  the  history 
of  the  great  republic;  though  I  will  not  take  it  on  myself  to 
say  things  have  materially  altered,  except  it  be  in  the  news- 
papers, in  this  particular  interest.  The  order  to  prepare  to 
quit  the  Briton  was  repeated,  and  I  was  dismissed  to  the 
outer  cabin,  where  was  Marble,  while  Mr.  Clements  at- 
tempted to  shut  the  door  that  separated  us,  though  from 
some  cause  or  other,  he  did  not  exactly  effect  his  object. 
In  consequence  of  this  neglect,  I  overheard  the  following 
dialogue: 

"  I  hope,  my  lord,"  said  Clements,  "  you  will  not  think  of 
taking  away  the  mate  and  the  black.  They  are  both  first- 
rate  men,  and  both  well  affected  to  his  Majesty's  service. 
The  negro  was  of  great  use  aloft  during  the  late  action,  while 
the  mate  fought  at  a  gun,  like  a  tiger,  for  the  better  part  of 
an  hour.     We  are  somewhat  short  of  hands,  and  I  have 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  38 1 

counted  on  inducing  both  of  these  men  to  enter.  There  is 
the  prize  money  for  the  Frenchman  under  our  lee,  you  know, 
my  lord,  and  I  have  little  doubt  of  succeeding." 

"  I'm  sorry  duty  compels  me  to  take  all  three,  Clements, 
but  I'll  bear  what  you  say  in  mind ;  perhaps  we  can  get  them 
to  enter  on  board  the  Speedy.     You  know  it " 

Here  Mr.  Clements  discovered  that  the  door  was  not 
shut,  and  he  closed  it  tight,  preventing  my  hearing  any 
more.  I  now  turned  to  Marble,  whose  countenance  betrayed 
the  self-reproach  he  endured,  at  ascertaining  the  injury  he 
had  done  by  his  ill-judged  artifice.  I  made  no  reproaches, 
however,  but  squeezed  his  hand  in  token  of  my  forgiveness. 
The  poor  fellow,  I  plainly  saw,  had  great  difficulty  in  for- 
giving himself,  though  he  said  nothing  at  the  moment. 

The  conference  between  Lord  Harry  Dermond  and  Mr. 
Clements  lasted  half  an  hour.  At  the  end  of  that  time  both 
appeared  in  the  forward  cabin,  and  I  saw  by  the  countenance 
of  the  last  that  he  had  failed  in  his  object.  As  for  us,  we 
were  transferred,  with  the  few  articles  we  possessed,  to  the 
Speedy,  on  board  which  ship  our  arrival  made  as  much  of 
a  sensation  as  the  discipline  of  a  man-of-war  would  permit. 
I  was  put  in  irons,  the  moment  we  reached  the  quarter- 
deck, and  placed  under  the  charge  of  a  sentinel  near  the 
cabin  door.  Some  little  attention  was  paid  to  my  comfort, 
it  is  true,  and  a  canvas  screen  was  fitted  for  me,  behind 
which  I  ate  and  slept,  with  some  sort  of  retirement.  My 
irons  were  of  so  large  a  sort,  that  I  found  means  to  take 
them  off  and  put  them  on  at  pleasure.  I  was  disposed  to 
think  that  the  officers  were  aware  of  the  fact,  and  that  the 
things  were  used  as  much  for  the  sake  of  appearance  as  for 
anything  else.  Apart  from  the  confinement  and  the  injury 
done  my  affairs,  I  had  no  especial  cause  of  complaint, 
though  this  imprisonment  lasted  until  the  month  of  April, 
1804,  or  quite  five  months.  During  this  time  the  Speedy 
arrived  as  far  south  as  the  line,  then  she  hovered  about  the 
Canaries  and  the  Azores  on  her  way  homeward,  looking  in 


382  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

vain  for  another  Frenchman.  I  was  permitted  to  take  exer- 
cise twice  a  day,  once  in  the  gangway,  and  once  on  the  gun- 
deck,  and  my  table  was  actually  supplied  from  the  cabin. 
On  no  head  had  I  any  other  cause  to  complain  than  the  fact 
that  my  ship  had  been  wrongfully  seized  in  the  first  place, 
and  that  I  was  now  suffering  imprisonment  for  a  crime — if 
crime  indeed  it  would  have  been — that  I  certainly  had  not 
been  obliged  to  commit. 

During  the  five  months  I  thus  remained  a  prisoner  on  the 
gun-deck  of  the  Speedy,  I  never  exchanged  a  syllable  with 
either  Marble  or  Neb.  I  saw  them  both  occasionally,  em- 
ployed on  duty,  like  the  crew,  and  we  often  exchanged  sig- 
nificant looks,  but  never  any  words.  Occasionally  I  had  a 
visit  from  an  officer,  these  gentlemen  sitting  down  and  con- 
versing with  me  on  general  topics,  evidently  to  relieve  the 
tedium  of  my  confinement,  without  making  any  allusion  to 
its  cause.  I  cannot  say  that  my  health  suffered,  a  circum- 
stance that  was  probably  owing  to  the  cleanliness  of  the 
ship,  and  the  admirable  manner  in  which  she  was  ventilated. 

At  length  we  went  into  port  carrying  with  us  a  French 
ship  from  one  of  the  islands  to  the  eastward  of  the  Cape,  as 
a  prize.  The  Speedy  captured  this  vessel  after  a  smart 
chase  to  the  northward  of  the  Azores,  and  Marble  and  Neb 
having  volunteered  to  do  so,  were  sent  on  board  her,  as  two 
of  the  prize  crew.  That  day  I  got  a  visit  from  the  purser, 
who  was  the  most  attentive  of  all  my  acquaintances,  and  I 
took  the  liberty  of  asking  him  if  it  were  possible  my  two 
shipmates  had  entered  into  the  British  service. 

"  Why  not  exactly  that,"  he  said,  "  though  they  seem  to 
like  us,  and  we  think  both  will  ship  rather  than  lose  the 
prize  money  they  might  get  for  their  services  in  the  Briton. 
Your  old  mate  is  a  prime  fellow,  the  master  tells  me;  but 
my  lord  fancying  we  might  meet  some  French  cruiser  in  the 
chops  of  the  Channel,  thought  it  better  to  send  these  two 
chaps  in  the  prize  lest  they  should  take  the  studs  and  refuse 
to  fight  at  the  pinch.     They  have  done  duty,  they  say,  to 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  383 

keep  themselves  in  good  health;  and  we  humor  them,  to  be 
frank  with  you,  under  the  notion  they  may  get  to  like  us  so 
well  as  not  to  wish  to  quit  us." 

This  gave  me  an  insight  into  the  true  state  of  the  case, 
and  I  felt  much  easier  on  the  subject.  That  Marble  ever 
intended  to  serve  under  the  British  flag,  I  had  not  supposed 
for  a  moment ;  but  I  was  not  sure  that  regret  for  the  blunder 
he  had  already  made,  might  not  lead  him  into  some  new 
mistake  of  equally  serious  import  under  the  impression  that 
he  was  correcting  the  evil.  As  for  Neb,  I  knew  he  would 
never  desert  me;  and  I  had  not  from  the  first  felt  any  other 
concern  on  his  account  than  an  apprehension  his  ignorance 
might  be  imposed  on. 

The  day  we  anchored  in  Plymouth  Sound  was  thick  and 
drizzling  with  a  fresh  breeze  at  southwest.  The  ship  came- 
to  just  at  sunset,  her  prize  bringing  up  a  short  distance  in- 
shore of  her,  as  I  could  see  from  the  port,  that  formed  a  sort 
of  window  to  my  little  canvas  state-room.  Just  as  the  ship 
was  secured.  Lord  Harry  Dermond  passed  into  his  cabin, 
accompanied  by  his  first  lieutenant,  and  I  overheard  him 
say  to  the  latter — 

"  By  the  way,  Mr.  Powlett,  this  prisoner  must  be  removed 
to  some  other  place  in  the  morning.  Now  we  are  so  near 
the  land,  it  is  not  quite  safe  to  trust  him  at  a  port." 

I  was  still  musing  on  the  purport  of  this  remark,  when 
I  heard  the  noise  of  a  boat  coming  alongside.  Putting  my 
head  out  of  the  port,  I  could  just  see  that  the  prize  master 
of  the  French  ship  had  come  on  board,  and  that  Marble  and 
Neb  were  two  of  the  four  men  who  pulled  the  oars.  Marble 
saw  me,  and  gave  a  sign  of  recognition,  though  it  was  so 
dark  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  distinguish  objects  at  a  tri- 
fling distance.  This  sign  I  returned  in  a  significant  man- 
ner. It  was  this  answering  signal  from  me  that  induced  my 
mate  not  to  quit  the  boat,  and  to  keep  Neb  with  him.  The 
other  two  men  were  so  accustomed  to  do  duty  with  the  Amer- 
icanS;  that  they  did  not  scruple  to  run  up  the  frigate's  side, 


384  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

after  their  officer,  eager  to  get  a  gossip  with  their  old  mess- 
mates on  the  berth-deck.  Almost  at  the  same  instant  the 
officer  of  the  deck  called  out — 

"  Drop  la  Manerve^s  boat  astern,  out  of  the  way  of  the 
captain's  gig,  which  will  be  hauling  up  in  a  minute." 

This  was  on  the  larboard  side,  it  is  true;  but  a  smart  sea 
slapping  against  the  starboard,  Lord  Harry  was  willing  to 
dispense  with  ceremony,  in  order  to  escape  a  wet  jacket.  I 
cannot  tell  the  process  of  reasoning  that  induced  me  to  take 
the  step  I  did ;  it  was,  however,  principally  owing  to  the  re- 
mark I  had  so  lately  heard,  and  which  brought  all  the  dan- 
ger of  my  position  vividly  to  my  mind.  Whatever  may  have 
been  the  moving  cause,  I  acted  as  follows : 

My  irons  were  slipped,  and  I  squeezed  myself  between 
the  gun  and  the  side  of  the  port,  where  I  hung  by  my  hands 
against  the  ship's  side.  I  might  be  seen,  or  I  might  not, 
caring  little  for  the  result.  I  was  not  seen  by  any  but  Mar- 
ble and  Neb,  the  former  of  whom  caught  me  by  the  legs,  as 
he  passed  beneath,  and,  whispering  to  me  to  lie  down  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat,  he  assisted  me  into  the  cutter.  We 
actually  rubbed  against  the  captain's  gig,  as  it  was  hauling 
up  to  the  gangway;  but  no  one  suspected  what  had  just 
taken  place.  This  gig  was  the  only  one  of  the  Speedy's 
boats  that  was  in  the  water  at  that  hour,  it  having  just  been 
lowered  to  carry  the  captain  ashore.  In  another  minute  we 
had  dropped  astern,  Neb  holding  on  by  a  boat-hook  to  one 
of  the  rudder-chains.  Here  we  lay,  until  the  gig  pulled 
round,  close  to  us,  taking  the  direction  toward  the  usual 
landing,  with  the  captain  of  the  Speedy  in  her. 

In  two  minutes  the  gig  was  out  of  sight,  and  Marble  whis- 
pered to  Neb  to  let  go  his  hold.  This  was  promptly  done, 
when  the  boat  of  the  prize  began  to  drift  from  the  ship, 
swept  by  a  powerful  tide,  and  impelled  by  a  stiff  breeze. 
No  one  paid  any  heed  to  us,  everybody's  thoughts  being 
occupied  with  the  shore  and  the  arrival  at  such  a  moment. 
The  time  was  fortunate  in  another  particular :   Lord  Harry 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  385 

Dermond  was  a  vigilant  and  good  officer;  but  his  first  lieu- 
tenant was  what  is  called  on  board  ship  "  a  poor  devil  " ;  a 
phrase  that  is  sufficiently  significant;  and  the  moment  a 
vigilant  captain's  back  is  turned,  there  is  a  certain  ease  and 
neglect  in  a  vessel  that  has  an  indifferent  first  lieutenant. 
Every  one  feels  at  liberty  to  do  more  as  he  pleases,  than  has 
been  his  wont;  and  where  there  is  a  divided  responsibility 
of  this  nature,  few  perform  more  duty  than  they  can  help. 
When  "the  cat  is  away,  the  mice  come  out  to  play." 

At  all  events,  our  boat  continued  to  drop  astern  unob- 
served, until  the  ship  itself  became  very  faintly  visible  to  us. 
I  arose  as  soon  as  we  were  fifty  feet  from  the  rudder,  and  I 
assumed  the  direction  of  affairs  as  soon  as  on  my  feet. 
There  were  a  mast  and  a  lugg-sail  in  the  boat,  and  we 
stepped  the  former  and  set  the  last  as  soon  as  far  enough 
from  the  Speedy  to  be  certain  we  could  not  be  seen.  Put- 
ting the  helm  up  sufficiently  to  bring  the  wind  on  the  quar- 
ter, I  then  stood  directly  out  to  sea.  All  this  was  accom- 
plished in  less  than  five  minutes,  by  means  of  what  the 
French  call  a  sudden  inspiration ! 

To  be  sure,  our  situation  was  sufficiently  awkward,  now 
we  had  obtained  something  that  had  the  semblance  of  free- 
dom. Neither  of  us  had  a  single  shilling  of  money,  or  an 
article  of  clothing  but  those  we  wore.  There  was  not  a 
mouthful  of  food  of  any  sort  in  the  boat,  nor  a  drop  of  water. 
The  night  was  lowering  and  intensely  dark,  and  the  wind 
was  blowing  fresher  than  was  at  all  desirable  for  a  boat. 
Still  we  determined  to  persevere,  and  we  ran  boldly  off  the 
land,  trusting  our  common  fate  to  Providence.  I  hoped  we 
might  fall  in  with  some  American,  bound  in  or  out;  should 
that  fail  us,  France  might  be  reached,  if  we  had  good  luck, 
in  the  course  of  less  than  eight-and-forty  hours. 

Our  situation  afforded  nothing  to  occupy  the  mind  but 
anxiety.  We  could  not  see  a  hundred  yards,  possessed  no 
compass,  or  any  other  guide  on  our  way  than  the  direction 
of  the  wind,  and  were  totally  without  the  means  of  refresh- 


386  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

ment  or  shelter.  Still,  we  managed  to  sleep  by  turns,  each 
having  entire  confidence  in  the  skill  of  both  the  others.  In 
this  manner  we  got  through  the  night,  feeling  no  apprehen- 
sions of  being  pursued,  the  darkness  affording  an  effectual 
cover. 

When  the  light  returned,  we  discovered  nothing  in  pur- 
suit, though  the  weather  was  too  thick  to  admit  of  our  seeing 
any  great  distance  around  the  boat.  All  the  morning  we 
continued  running  to  the  northward  and  eastward,  under  our 
single  lugg  reefed,  only  keeping  clear  of  the  seas  that  chased 
us  by  dint  of  good  management.  As  for  eating  or  drinking, 
the  first  was  out  of  the  question ;  though  we  began  to  make 
some  little  provision  to  slake  our  thirst  by  exposing  our 
handkerchiefs  to  the  drizzle,  in  order  to  wring  them  when 
they  should  become  saturated  with  water.  The  coolness  of 
the  weather,  however,  and  the  mist,  contributed  to  prevent 
our  suffering  much,  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  felt  any  great 
desire  for  either  food  or  water,  until  toward  the  middle  of 
the  day.  Then  we  began  to  converse  together  on  the  sub- 
ject of  dinner,  in  a  jocular  way,  however,  rather  than  with 
any  very  great  longings  on  the  subject.  While  thus  em- 
ployed, Neb  suddenly  exclaimed,  "Dere  a  sail! " 

Sure  enough,  a  ship  was  meeting  us,  heading  up  on  the 
larboard  tack  about  west- northwest,  as  she  stretched  in 
toward  the  English  coast.  I  can  see  that  vessel  in  my 
mind's  eye  even  at  this  distant  day.  She  had  two  reefs  in 
her  topsails,  with  spanker,  jib,  and  both  courses  set,  like  a 
craft  that  carried  convenient,  rather  than  urgent  canvas. 
Her  line  of  sailing  would  take  her  about  two  hundred  yards 
to  leeward  of  us,  and  my  first  impulse  was  to  luff.  A  second 
glance  showed  us  that  she  was  an  English  frigate,  and  we 
doused  our  lugg  as  soon  as  possible.  Our  hearts  were  in 
our  mouths  for  the  next  five  minutes.  My  eye  never  turned 
from  that  frigate  as  she  hove  by  us,  now  rising  on  the  sum- 
mit of  a  sea,  now  falling  gracefully  into  the  trough,  conceal- 
ing everything   but  her  spars   from  sight.      Glad  enough 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  387 

were  we  when  she  had  got  so  far  ahead  as  to  bring  us  well 
on  her  weather-quarter,  though  we  did  not  dare  set  our  sail 
again,  until  her  dark,  glistening  hull,  with  its  line  of  frown- 
ing ports,  was  shut  up  in  the  cloud  of  mist,  leaving  the  spot 
on  the  ocean,  where  she  had  last  been  seen  as  if  she  were 
not.  That  was  one  of  those  hairbreadth  escapes  that  often 
occur  to  men  engaged  in  hazardous  undertakings,  without 
any  direct  agency  of  their  own. 

Our  next  adventure  was  of  a  more  pleasing  character. 
A  good-sized  ship  was  made  astern,  coming  up  Channel  be- 
fore the  wind,  and  carrying  topmast  studding-sails.  She 
was  an  American!  On  this  point  we  were  all  agreed,  and 
placing  ourselves  in  her  track,  we  ran  off,  on  her  course, 
knowing  that  she  must  be  going  quite  two  feet  to  our  one. 
In  twenty  minutes  she  passed  close  to  us,  her  officers  and 
crew  manifesting  the  greatest  curiosity  to  learn  who  and 
what  we  were.  So  dexterously  did  Marble  manage  the  boat, 
that  we  got  a  rope,  and  hauled  alongside  without  lessening 
the  ship's  way,  though  she  nearly  towed  us  under  water  in 
the  attempt.  The  moment  we  could,  we  leaped  on  deck, 
abandoning  the  boat  to  its  fate. 

We  had  not  mistaken  the  character  of  the  vessel.  It  was 
a  ship  from  James  River,  loaded  with  tobacco,  and  bound 
to  Amsterdam.  Her  master  heard  our  story,  believed  it, 
and  felt  for  us.  We  only  remained  with  him  a  week,  how- 
ever, quitting  his  vessel  off  the  coast  of  Holland,  to  go  to 
Hamburg,  where  I  fancied  my  letters  would  have  been  sent, 
and  whence  I  knew  it  would  be  equally  in  our  power  to 
reach  home.  At  Hamburg,  I  was  fated  to  meet  with  disap- 
pointment. There  was  not  a  line  for  me,  and  we  found 
ourselves  without  money  in  a  strange  place.  I  did  not 
deem  it  prudent  to  tell  our  story,  but  we  agreed  to  ship  to- 
gether in  some  American,  and  work  our  way  home  in  the 
best  manner  we  could.  After  looking  about  us  a  little,  ne- 
cessity compelled  us  to  enter  in  the  first  vessel  that  offered. 
This  was  a  Philadelphia  §hip,  called  the  Schuylkill,  on 


388  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

board  which  I  shipped  as  second  mate,  while  Marble  and 
Neb  took  the  berths  of  foremast  Jacks.  No  one  questioned 
us  as  to  the  past,  and  we  had  decided  among  ourselves,  to 
do  our  duty  and  keep  mum.  We  used  our  own  names,  and 
that  was  the  extent  of  our  communication  on  the  subject  of 
our  true  characters. 

I  found  it  a  little  hard  to  descend  so  much  on  the  ladder 
of  life,  but  an  early  training  enabled  me  to  act  Dicky  over 
again,  with  some  credit;  and  before  the  ship  went  to  sea, 
our  chief  mate  was  discharged  for  drunkenness,  and  I  got  a 
lift.  Marble  was  put  in  my  place,  and  from  that  time,  for 
the  next  five  months,  things  went  on  smoothly  enough;  I 
say  five  months,  for,  instead  of  sailing  for  home  direct,  the 
ship  went  to  Spain,  within  the  Straits,  for  a  cargo  of  barilla, 
which  she  took  up  to  London,  where  she  got  a  freight  for 
Philadelphia.  We  were  all  a  little  uneasy  at  finding  that 
our  story,  with  sundry  perversions  and  exaggerations,  was  in 
the  English  papers;  but,  by  the  time  we  reached  England, 
it  was  forgotten ;  having  been  crowded  out  by  the  occurrence 
of  new  events  of  interest,  at  a  moment  when  every  week  was 
teeming  with  incidents  that  passed  into  history. 

Nevertheless,  I  was  glad  when  we  left  England,  and  I 
once  more  found  myself  on  the  high  seas,  homeward  bound. 
My  wages  had  enabled  me,  as  well  as  Marble  and  Neb,  to ' 
get  new  outfits,  suited  to  our  present  stations,  and  we  sailed 
for  Philadelphia  with  as  good  a  stock  of  necessaries  as  usu- 
ally falls  to  the  lot  of  men  in  our  respective  positions. 
These  were  all  that  remained  to  me  of  a  ship  and  cargo  that 
were  worth  between  eighty  and  ninety  thousand  dollars! 

The  passage  proved  to  be  very  long,  but  we  reached  the 
capes  of  the  Delaware  at  last.  On  the  7th  September,  1804, 
or  when  I  wanted  a  few  weeks  of  being  three-and-twenty,  I 
landed  on  the  wharves  of  what  was  then  the  largest  town  in 
America,  a  ruined  and  disappointed  man.  Still  I  kept  up 
my  spirits,  leaving  my  companions  in  ignorance  of  the  ex- 
tent of  my  misfortune.     We  remained  a  few  days  to  dis- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  389 

charge  the  cargo,  when  we  were  all  three  paid  off.  Neb, 
who  had  passed  on  board  the  Schuylkill  for  a  free  black, 
brought  me  his  wages,  and  when  we  had  thrown  our  joint 
stock  into  a  common  bag,  it  was  found  to  amount  to  the  sum 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  dollars.  With  this  money, 
then,  we  prepared  to  turn  our  faces  north.  Marble  anxious 
to  meet  his  mother  and  little  Kitty,  Neb  desirous  of  again 
seeing  Chloe,  and  I  to  meet  my  principal  creditor,  John 
Wallingford,  and  to  gain  some  tidings  of  Mr.  Hardinge  and 
Lucy. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

You  think  I'll  weep. 

No,  I'll  not  weep. 

I  have  full  cause  of  weeping  ;  but  this  heart 
Shall  break  into  a  hundred  thousand  flaws, 
Or  ere  I'll  weep. 

Lear. 

I  PASS  over  the  manner  and  time  of  our  being  on  the  road 
between  Philadelphia  and  New  York,  as  things  belonging 
to  a  former  age,  and  to  be  forgotten.  I  will  merely  say  that 
we  travelled  the  South  Amboy  road,  and  went  through  a  part 
of  the  world  called  Feather-bed  Lane,  that  causes  my  bones 
to  ache,  even  now,  in  recollection.  At  South  Amboy,  we 
got  on  board  a  sloop,  or  packet,  and  entered  the  bay  of  New 
York  by  the  passage  of  the  Kills,  landing  near  Whitehall. 
We  were  superintending  the  placing  of  our  chests  on  a  cart, 
when  some  one  caught  my  hand,  and  exclaimed — 

"God  bless  me! — Captain  Wallingford  come  to  life,  as  I 
live!" 

It  was  old  Jared  Jones,  the  man  who  had  been  miller  at 
Clawbonny  from  my  infancy  to  the  day  I  left  home.  I  had 
supposed  him  to  be  at  work  there  still ;  but  the  look  he  gave 
me — the  tears  that  I  could  see  were  forcing  themselves  from 
his  eyes — his  whole  manner,  indeed,  gave  me  at  once  to  un- 


390  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

derstand  that  all  was  not  right.  My  countenance,  rather 
than  my  tongue,  demanded  an  explanation.  Jared  under- 
stood me,  and  we  walked  together  toward  the  Battery ;  leav- 
ing Marble  and  Neb  to  proceed  with  the  luggage  to  the 
modest  lodgings  in  which  we  had  proposed  to  hide  ourselves 
until  I  had  time  to  look  about  me — a  house  frequented  by 
Moses  for  many  years. 

"  You  perceive  I  do  not  return  home,  Jared,  in  precisely 
the  condition  in  which  I  went  abroad.  My  ship  and  cargo 
are  both  lost,  and  I  come  among  you,  now,  a  poor  man,  I 
fear." 

"  We  were  afraid  that  something  of  the  sort  must  have 
happened,  or  such  bad  news  would  never  have  reached 
Clawbonny,  sir.  Some  of  your  men  got  back  months  ago, 
and  they  brought  the  tidings  that  the  Dawn  was  captivated 
by  the  English.  From  that  hour,  I  think,  Mr.  Hardinge 
gave  the  matter  up.  The  worst  news,  however,  for  us — that 
of  your  death  excepted — was  that  of  the  mortgage  on  Claw- 
bonny." 

"The  mortgage  on  Clawbonny!  Has  anything  been  done 
in  connection  with  that.''  " 

"  Lord  bless  you,  my  dear  Mr.  Miles,  it  has  been  fore- 
closed, under  the  statue  I  believe  they  call  it;  and  it  was 
advertised  to  be  sold  three  months.  Then,  when  it  was  sold, 
how  much  do  you  think  the  place,  mill  and  all,  actually 
brought?     Just  give  a  guess,  sir." 

"Brought!  Clawbonny  is  then  sold,  and  I  am  no  longer 
the  owner  of  my  father's  house !  " 

"Sold,  sir;  and  we  have  been  sent  adrift — niggers  and 
all.  They  said  the  freedom-laws  would  soon  let  all  the 
older  blacks  be  their  own  masters;  and,  as  to  the  young 
'uns,  why,  your  creditors  might  sell  their  times.  But  Mr. 
Hardinge  put  the  poor  critturs  into  houses,  near  the  rec- 
tory, and  they  work  about  among  the  neighbors,  until  things 
are  settled.  It's  to  their  credit,  Mr.  Miles,  that  not  one  of 
*em  all  thinks  of  runnin'  away.     With  the  feelin'  that's  up 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  39 1 

in  the  country  consarn in'  blacks,  and  no  master  to  lookarter 
them,  every  one  of  'em  might  be  off,  without  risk." 

"  And  Chloe,  my  sister's  own  girl,  what  has  become  of 
Chloe,  Jared?" 

"  Why,  I  believe  Miss  Lucy  has  tuk  her.  Miss  Lucy  is 
dreadful  rich,  as  all  allow;  and  she  has  put  it  in  her  father's 
power  to  take  care  of  all  the  movables.  Every  huff  [hoof] 
of  living  thing  that  was  on  the  place  has  been  put  on  the 
Wright  farm,  in  readiness  for  their  owner,  should  he  ever 
come  to  claim  them." 

"  Has  Miss  Hardinge  had  the  consideration  to  hire  that 
farm,  with  such  an  object? " 

"  They  say  she  has  bought  it,  out  of  the  savings  of  her  in- 
come. It  seems  she  is  mistress  of  her  income,  though  under 
age.  And  this  is  the  use  she  has  made  of  some  of  her 
money." 

"  I  had  supposed  she  would  have  been  married  by  this 
time.  Mr.  Drewett  was  thought  to  be  engaged  to  her  when 
I  sailed." 

"Yes;  there  is  much  talk  about  that,  through  the  coun- 
try; but  they  say  Miss  Lucy  will  never  marry,  until  she  has 
been  of  age  a  few  weeks,  in  order  that  she  may  do  what  she 
pleases  with  her  money,  afore  a  husband  can  lay  his  hand 
on  it.  Mr.  Rupert  is  married,  I  s'pose  you  heard,  sir — and 
living  away  like  a  nabob  with  his  bride,  in  one  of  the  best 
houses  in  town.  Some  people  say  that  he  has  a  right  in  a 
part  of  old  Mrs.  Bradfort's  estate,  which  he  will  get  as  soon 
as  Miss  Lucy  comes  of  age." 

I  did  not  like  to  pursue  this  part  of  the  discourse  any 
further,  though  it  was  balm  to  my  wounds  to  hear  these 
tidings  of  Lucy.  The  subject  was  too  sacred,  however,  to 
be  discussed  with  such  a  commentator,  and  I  turned  the  dis- 
course to  Clawbonny,  and  the  reports  that  might  have  cir- 
culated there  concerning  myself.  Jones  told  me  all  he  knew, 
which  was  briefly  as  follows: 

It  seems  that  the  second  mate  of  the  Dawn,  and  such  of 


392  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

her  crew  as  had  been  put  in  the  Speedy,  and  who  had  not 
been  impressed  either  in  the  frigate  itself,  or  in  England 
after  they  were  turned  ashore,  had  found  their  way  home, 
bringing  with  them  an  account  of  the  capture  of  the  ship, 
her  extraordinary  appearance  near  the  four  combatants,  and 
their  own  attempt  to  escape.  This  last  affair  in  particular 
had  made  some  noise  in  the  journals — a  warm  discussion 
having  taken  place  on  the  subject  of  the  right  of  Americans 
to  run  away  with  an  English  man-of-war's  boat  under  the 
circumstances  in  which  these  poor  fellows  had  found  them- 
selves placed.  In  that  day  parties  in  America  took  as  lively 
an  interest  in  the  wars  of  Europe,  as  if  the  country  were  a 
belligerent;  and  politicians,  or  ^«^«  statesmen,  were  little 
more  than  retailers  of  the  most  ultra  English  and  ultra 
French  opinions.  It  was  sufficient  for  the  federalists  to 
justify  any  act,  if  England  did  it;  while  the  democrats  had 
almost  as  strong  a  disposition  to  defend  all  the  enormities 
which  the  policy  of  Napoleon  led  him  to  commit.  I  say 
almost — for,  to  deal  honestly  with  posterity,  I  do  not  think 
the  French-American  party  was  quite  as  French  as  the  Eng- 
lish-American party  was  English.  These  last  had  returned 
to  their  provincial  dependence  of  thought;  and,  well  read 
in  the  English  version  of  all  political  and  moral  truths,  and 
little  read  in  those  of  any  other  state  of  society,  they  be- 
lieved as  he  who  worships  at  a  distance  from  the  shrine,  is 
known  implicitly  to  yield  his  faith.  The  English  party  had 
actually  a  foundation  in  deeply-rooted  opinion,  and  colonial 
admiration  for  the  ancient  seat  of  power,  whereas  the  French 
owed  its  existence  principally  to  opposition.  The  alliance 
of  1778  had  some  little  influence  among  men  old  enough  to 
have  been  active  in  the  events  of  the  Revolution,  it  is  true, 
but  they  existed  as  exceptions  even  in  their  own  party.  It 
was  the  English  feeling  that  was  natural,  hearty,  dependent, 
and  deep;  the  other  having  been,  as  has  just  been  stated, 
rooted  as  much  in  opposition,  as  in  any  other  soil. 

The  public  discussions  of  the  fate  of  the  Dawn,  as  a  mat- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  393 

ter  of  course,  had  drawn  much  speculation,  among  my  ac- 
quaintances, to  my  own.  As  month  passed  after  month,  and 
no  letters  reached  America,  the  opinion  became  very  general 
that  the  vessel  was  lost.  At  length,  a  ship  from  Jamaica 
brought  in  a  blind  story  of  the  manner  in  which  I  had  re- 
taken my  vessel  from  Sennit;  and,  it  now  being  known  that 
we  were  only  four  left  in  the  vessel,  the  conjecture  was 
hazarded  that  we  had  been  wrecked  for  want  of  force  to  take 
care  of  the  ship;  and  I  was  set  down  as  a  drowned  man. 

Shortly  after  this  opinion  of  my  fate  became  general 
among  my  acquaintances,  John  Wallingford  had  appeared 
at  Clawbonny.  He  made  no  change,  however,  spoke  kindly 
to  every  one,  told  the  slaves  nothing  should  be  altered,  and 
gave  them  every  reason  to  suppose  that  they  would  continue 
under  a  true  Wallingford  rkgime.  It  was  generally  under- 
stood he  was  to  be  my  heir,  and  no  one  saw  any  occasion 
for  the  acts  of  violence  that  succeeded. 

But,  two  months  after  John  Wallingford's  visit,  Mr.  Har- 
dinge,  and  all  connected  with  Clawbonny,  had  been  astounded 
by  the  intelligence  of  the  existence  of  the  mortgage.  A  fore- 
closure under  the  statute,  or  "  statue,"  as  Jared  had  called 
it,  was  commenced,  and  a  few  months  later  the  place  was 
publicly  sold  at  Kingston,  none  bidding  more  than  five  thou- 
sand dollars  for  it,  less  than  a  sixth  of  its  worth.  This  sac- 
rifice of  real  estate,  however,  under  forced  sales  was,  and  is, 
common  enough  in  America,  especially;  it  being  generally 
understood  that  the  creditor  is  prepared  to  rise  in  his  bids, 
as  necessity  presents.  In  my  case  there  was  no  one  to  pro- 
tect my  rights,  Mr.  Hardinge  having  attended  the  sale  pre- 
pared to  reason  with  my  cousin  on  the  propriety  and  gener- 
osity of  his  course,  rather  than  prepared  with  good  current 
coin  to  extinguish  the  claim.  John  Wallingford  did  not 
appear,  however,  and  the  sale  took  place  without  further 
competition,  than  one  bid  of  Mr.  Hardinge's;  a  bid  that  he 
was  not  properly  prepared  to  make,  but  which  he  hazarded 
on  his  knowledge  of  Lucy's  means  and  disposition.     A  man 


394  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

of  the  name  of  Daggett,  a  relative  of  John  Wallingford's,  by 
his  mother's  side,  was  the  ostensible  purchaser,  and  now 
professed  to  be  the  owner  of  my  paternal  acres.  It  was  he 
who  had  taken  possession  under  the  purchase,  had  dismissed 
the  negroes,  and  sent  off  the  personal  property ;  and  he  it 
was  who  had  placed  new  servants  on  the  farm  and  in  the 
mill.  To  the  surprise  of  everybody,  John  Wallingford  had 
not  appeared  in  the  transaction,  though  it  was  understood  he 
had  a  legal  right  to  all  my  remaining  effects,  in  the  event  of 
my  real  death.  No  will  was  proved  or  produced,  however, 
nor  was  anything  heard  of,  or  concerning,  my  cousin !  Mr. 
Daggett  was  a  close  and  reserved  man,  and  nothing  could  be 
learned  on  the  subject  from  him.  His  right  to  Clawbonny 
could  not  be  disputed,  and  after  consulting  counsel  in  the 
premises,  Mr.  Hardinge  himself  had  been  compelled,  reluc- 
tantly, to  admit  it.  Such  was  the  substance  of  what  I  gleaned 
from  the  miller,  in  a  random  sort  of  conversation  that  lasted 
an  hour.  Of  course,  much  remained  to  be  explained,  but  I 
had  learned  enough,  to  know  that  I  was  virtually  a  beggar  as 
to  means,  whatever  I  might  be  in  feeling. 

When  I  parted  from  Jared  I  gave  him  my  address,  and 
we  were  to  meet  again  next  day.  The  old  man  felt  an  in- 
terest in  me  that  was  soothing  to  my  feelings,  and  I  wished 
to  glean  all  I  could  from  him ;  more  especially  concerning 
Lucy  and  Mr.  Hardinge.  I  now  followed  Marble  and  Neb 
to  the  boarding-house,  one  frequented  by  masters  and  mates 
of  ships,  the  masters  being  of  the  humble  class  to  conde- 
scend thus  to  mingle  with  their  subordinates.  We  consumed 
the  rest  of  the  morning  in  establishing  ourselves  in  our 
rooms,  and  in  putting  on  our  best  round-abouts;  for  I  was 
not  the  owner  of  a  coat  that  had  skirts  to  it,  unless,  indeed, 
there  might  be  a  few  old  garments  of  that  sort  among  the 
effects  that  had  been  removed  from  Clawbonny  to  the  Wright 
farm.  Notwithstanding  this  defect  in  my  wardrobe,  I 
would  not  have  the  reader  suppose  I  made  a  mean  or  a  dis- 
agreeable appearance.     On  the  contrary,  standing  as  I  did, 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  395 

six  feet  one,  in  my  shoes,  attired  in  a  neat  blue  round-about 
of  mate's  cloth,  with  a  pair  of  quarter-deck  trousers,  a  clean 
white  shirt,  a  black  silk  handkerchief,  and  a  vest  of  a  pretty 
but  modest  pattern,  I  was  not  at  all  ashamed  to  be  seen.  I 
had  come  from  England,  a  country  in  which  clothes  are 
both  good  and  cheap,  and  a  trimmer-looking  tar  than  I 
then  was,  seldom  showed  himself  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
town. 

Marble  and  I  had  dined,  and  were  preparing  to  sally  forth 
on  a  walk  up  Broadway,  when  I  saw  a  meagre,  care-worn, 
bilious-looking  sort  of  a  person  enter  the  house,  and  proceed 
toward  the  bar,  evidently  with  an  inquiry  concerning  some 
of  the  inmates.  The  bar-tender  pointed  at  once  to  me,  when 
the  stranger  approached,  and  with  a  species  of  confidence 
that  seemed  to  proclaim  that  he  fancied  news  to  be  the  great 
end  of  life,  and  that  all  who  were  engaged  in  its  dissemina- 
tion were  privileged  beings,  he  announced  himself  as  Colonel 
Warbler,  the  editor  of  the  New  York  Republican  Freeman. 
I  asked  the  gentleman  into  the  common  sitting-room,  when 
the  following  dialogue  took  place  between  us. 

"We  have  just  heard  of  your  arrival.  Captain  Walling- 
ford,"  commenced  the  colonel^  all  New  York  editors  of  a  cer- 
tain calibre  seeming  to  be,  ex  officio^  of  that  blood-and-thunder 
rank,  "  and  are  impatient  to  place  you,  as  it  might  be,  rectus 
in  curid  before  the  nation.  Your  case  excited  a  good  deal 
of  feeling  some  months  since,  and  the  public  mind  may  be 
said  to  be  prepared  to  learn  the  whole  story ;  or,  in  a  happy 
condition  to  indulge  in  further  excitement.  If  you  will 
have  the  goodness  to  furnish  me  with  the  outlines,  sir," 
coolly  producing  pen,  ink,  and  paper  without  further  cere- 
mony, and  preparing  to  write,  "  I  promise  you  that  the  whole 
narrative  shall  appear  in  the  Freeman  of  to-morrow,  related 
in  a  manner  of  which  you  shall  have  no  reason  to  complain. 
The  caption  is  already  written,  and  if  you  please,  I  will 
read  it  to  you,  before  we  go  any  further."  Then  without 
waiting  to  ascertain  whether  I  did  or  did  not  please  to  hear 


396 

him,  the  colonel  incontinently  commenced  reading  what  he 
called  his  caption. 

"*In  the  Schuylkill,  arrived  lately  at  Philadelphia,  came 
passenger  our  esteemed  fellow-citizen,  Captain  Miles  Wall- 
ingford'" — in  1804  everybody  had  not  got  to  be  esquires^ 
even  the  editors  not  yet  assuming  that  title  of  gentility  ex 
officio.  "*This  gentleman's  wrongs  have  already  been  laid 
before  our  readers.  From  his  own  mouth  we  learn  the  fol- 
lowing outline  of  the  vile  and  illegal  manner  in  which  he 
has  been  treated  by  an  English  man-of-war,  called  the 
Speedy,  commanded  by  a  sprig  of  nobility  yclept  Lord ' — I 
have  left  a  blank  for  the  name—*  an  account  which  will 
awaken  in  the  bosom  of  every  true-hearted  American  senti- 
ments of  horror  and  feelings  of  indignation  at  this  new  in- 
stance of  British  faith  and  British  insolence  on  the  high 
seas.  It  will  be  seen  by  this  account,  that  not  satisfied  with 
impressing  all  his  crew  and  in  otherwise  maltreating  them, 
this  scion  of  aristocracy  has  violated  every  article  of  the 
treaty  between  the  two  countries,  as  respects  Captain  Wall- 
ingford  himself,  and  otherwise  trodden  on  every  principle 
of  honor;  in  a  word,  set  at  naught  all  the  commandments 
of  God.  We  trust  there  will  be  found  no  man  or  set  of  men 
in  the  country  to  defend  such  outrageous  conduct;  and  that 
even  the  minions  of  England,  employed  around  the  federal 
presses  of  our  country,  will  be  ready  to  join  with  us  on  this 
occasion  in  denouncing  British  aggression  and  British 
usurpation.'  There,  sir,  I  trust  that  is  quite  to  your 
liking." 

"It  is  a  little  ex  parte,  colonel,  as  I  have  quite  as  much 
complaint  to  make  of  French  as  of  English  aggression,  hav- 
ing been  twice  captured,  once  by  an  English  frigate,  and 
again  by  a  French  privateer.  I  prefer  to  tell  the  whole 
story,  if  I  am  to  tell  any  of  it." 

"Certainly,  sir;  we  wish  to  relate  all  the  enormities  of 
which  these  arrogant  English  were  guilty." 

"  I  believe  that,  in  capturing  my  ship,  the  English  com- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  39/ 

mander  did  me  an  act  of  great  injustice,  and  was  the  cause 

of  my  ruin " 

"  Stop,  sir,  if  you  please,"  interrupted  Colonel  Warbler, 
writing  with  rapidity  and  zeal,  "  and  thus  caused  the  ruin 
of  an  industrious  and  honest  man ;  ay,  that  ends  a  period 
beautifully — well,  sir,  proceed." 

"But  I  have  no  personal  ill-treatment  to  complain  of; 
and  the  act  of  the  French  was  of  precisely  the  same  charac- 
ter, perhaps  worse,  as  I  had  got  rid  of  the  English  prize 
crew,  when  the  Frenchman  captured  us  in  his  turn,  and 
prevented  our  obtaining  shelter  and  a  new  crew  in  France." 
Colonel  Warbler  listened  with  cold  indifference.  Not  a 
line  would  he  write  against  the  French,  belonging  to  a  very 
extensive  school  of  disseminators  of  news,  who  fancy  it  is  a 
part  of  their  high  vocation  to  tell  just  as  much,  or  just  as 
little,  of  any  transaction  as  may  happen  to  suit  their  own 
purposes.  I  pressed  the  injuries  I  had  received  from  the 
French,  on  my  visitor,  so  much  the  more  warmly  on  account 
of  the  reluctance  he  manifested  to  publish  it;  but  all  to  no 
purpose.  Next  morning  the  Republican  Freeman  contained 
just  such  an  account  of  the  affair  as  comported  with  the  con- 
sistency of  that  independent  and  manly  journal,  not  a  word 
being  said  about  the  French  privateer,  while  the  account  of 
the  proceedings  of  the  English  frigate  was  embellished  with 
sundry  facts  and  epithets  that  must  have  been  obtained  from 
Colonel  Warbler's  general  stock  in  trade,  as  they  were  cer- 
tainly not  derived  from  me. 

As  soon  as  I  got  rid  of  this  gentleman,  which  was  not 
long  after  he  discovered  my  desire  to  press  the  delinquency 
of  the  French  on  his  notice,  Marble  and  I  left  the  house  on 
the  original  design  of  strolling  up  Broadway,  and  of  looking 
at  the  changes  produced  by  time.  We  had  actually  got  a 
square,  when  I  felt  some  one  touch  my  elbow;  turning,  I 
found  it  was  an  utter  stranger,  with  a  very  eager,  wonder- 
mongering  sort  of  a  countenance,  and  who  was  a  good  deal 
out  of  breath  with  running. 


39^  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"Your  pardon,  sir;  the  bar-tender  of  the  house  where 
you  lodge,  tells  me  you  are  Captain  Wallingford."  I  bowed 
an  assent,  foreseeing  another  application  ioxjacis. 

"  Well,  sir,  I  hope  you'll  excuse  the  liberty  I  am  taking, 
on  account  of  its  object.  I  represent  the  public,  which  is 
ever  anxious  to  obtain  the  earliest  information  on  all  mat- 
ters of  general  concernment,  and  I  feel  emboldened  by  duty 
to  introduce  myself — Colonel  Positive,  of  the  Federal  Truth 
Teller,  a  journal  that  your  honored  father  once  did  us  the 
favor  to  take.  We  have  this  moment  heard  of  the  atrocities 
committed  on  you.  Captain  Wallingford,  by  *  a  brigand  of 
a  French  piratical,  picarooning,  plundering  vagabond,'" 
reading  from  what  I  dare  say  was  another  caption,  prepared 
for  the  other  side  of  the  question,  "  *  a  fresh  instance  of 
Gallic  aggression,  and  republican,  Jacobinical  insolence; 
atrocities  that  are  of  a  character  to  awaken  the  indignation 
of  every  right-thinking  American,  and  which  can  only  find 
abettors  among  that  portion  of  the  community  which,  pos- 
sessing nothing,  is  never  slow  to  sympathize  in  the  success 
of  this  robber,  though  it  be  at  the  expense  of  American 
rights,  and  American  prosperity.' " 

As  soon  as  Colonel  Positive  had  read  this  much,  he 
stopped  to  take  breath,  looking  at  me,  as  if  expecting  some 
exclamations  of  admiration  and  delight. 

"  I  have  suffered  by  means  of  what  I  conceive  to  be  a 
perfectly  unauthorized  act  of  a  French  privateer.  Colonel 
Positive,''  I  replied;  "but  this  wrong  would  not  have  been 
done  me,  had  I  not  suffered  previously  by  what  I  conceive 
to  be  an  equally  unjustifiable  act  of  the  English  frigate,  the 
Speedy,  commanded  by  Captain  Lord  Harry  Dermond,  a 
son  of  the  Irish  Marquis  of  Thole." 

"Bless  me,  sir,  this  is  very  extraordinary!  An  English 
frigate,  did  you  say  ?  It  is  very  unusual  for  the  vessels  of 
that  just  nation  ever  to  be  guilty  of  an  aggression,  particu- 
larly as  our  common  language,  common  descent,  Saxon 
ancestors,  and  Saxon  English,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing, 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  399 

you  know,  operate  against  it;  whereas,  sorry  I  am  to  say, 
each  new  arrival  brings  us  some  fresh  instance  of  the  atroc- 
ities of  the  myrmidons  of  this  upstart  Emperor  of  the 
French,  a  man,  sir,  whose  deeds,  sir,  have  never  been  paral- 
leled since  the  days  of  Nero,  Caligula,  and  all  the  other 
tyrants  of  antiquity.  If  you  will  favor  me.  Captain  Walling- 
ford,  with  a  few  of  the  particulars  of  this  last  atrocity  of 
Bonaparte,  I  promise  you  it  shall  be  circulated  far  and  near, 
and  that  in  a  way  to  defy  the  malignant  and  corrupt  perver- 
sions of  any  man  or  set  of  men." 

I  had  the  cruelty  to  refuse  compliance.  It  made  no  dif- 
ference, however,  for  next  day  the  Federal  Truth  Teller 
had  an  account  of  the  matter,  that  was  probably  as  accurate 
as  if  I  had  related  all  the  events  myself,  and  which  was  also 
about  as  true  as  most  of  the  jeremiads  of  the  journals  that 
are  intended  for  brilliant  effect.  It  was  read  with  avidity 
by  all  the  federalists  of  America,  while  its  counterpart  in 
the  Republican  Freeman,  pdissed,  pari  passu,  through  all  the 
democratic  papers,  and  was  devoured  with  a  similar  appe- 
tite by  the  whole  of  that  side  of  the  question.  This  distinc- 
tion, I  afterward  ascertained,  was  made  by  nearly  the  whole 
country.  If  a  federalist  was  my  auditor,  he  would  listen  all 
day  to  that  part  of  my  story  which  related  to  the  capture  by 
the  French  privateer,  while  it  was  vice  versd  with  the  demo- 
crats. Most  of  the  merchants  being  federalists,  and  the 
English  having  so  much  more  connection  with  my  narrative 
than  the  French,  I  soon  found  I  was  making  myself  exceed- 
ingly unpopular  by  speaking  on  the  subject  at  all ;  nor  was 
it  long  before  a  story  got  in  circulation,  that  I  was  nothing 
but  a  runaway  English  deserter  myself — I,  the  fifth  Miles  of 
my  name  at  Clawbonny!  As  for  Marble,  men  were  ready 
to  swear  he  had  robbed  his  captain,  and  had  got  off  from  an 
English  two-decker  only  four  years  before.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  tell  people  of  the  world  the  manner  in  which  stories 
to  the  prejudice  of  an  unpopular  man  are  fabricated,  and 
with  what  industry  they  are  circulated ;  so  I  shall  leave  the 


400  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

reader  to  imagine  what  would  have  been  our  fate,  had  we 
not  possessed  the  prudence  to  cease  dwelling  on  our  wrongs. 
Instead  of  thinking  of  appealing  to  the  authorities  of  my 
country  for  redress,  I  felt  myself  fortunate  in  having  the 
whole  affair  forgotten  as  soon  as  possible,  leaving  me  some 
small  portion  of  character. 

1  confess,  while  returning  home,  I  had  sometimes  fancied 
I  might  be  protected  by  the  country  of  which  I  was  a  native, 
for  which  I  had  fought,  and  to  which  I  paid  taxes;  but  I 
was  only  three-and-twenty,  and  did  not  then  understand  the 
workings  of  laws,  particularly  in  a  state  of  society  that  sub- 
mits to  have  its  most  important  interests  under  foreign  con- 
trol. Had  I  received  a  wrong  from  only  a  Frenchman,  or 
an  Englishman,  I  should  have  fared  a  little  better,  in  ap- 
pearance at  least,  though  my  money  was  irretrievably  gone; 
for  one  political  party  or  the  other,  as  the  case  might  have 
been,  would  have  held  me  up  to  ex  parte  sympathy,  so  long 
as  it  suited  its  purposes,  or  until  the  novelty  of  some  new 
case  offered  an  inducement  to  supplant  me.  But  I  had  been 
wronged  by  both  belligerents,  and  it  was  soon  agreed,  by 
mutual  consent,  to  drop  the  whole  subject.  As  for  redress 
or  compensation,  I  was  never  fool  enough  to  seek  it.  On 
the  contrary,  finding  how  unpopular  it  made  a  man  among 
the  merchants  to /r^z/^  anything  against  Great  Britain  just 
at  that  moment,  I  was  wisely  silent,  thus  succeeding  in  sav- 
ing my  character,  which  would  otherwise  have  followed  my 
property,  as  the  shortest  method  of  making  a  troublesome 
declaimer  hold  his  tongue. 

Most  young  persons  will  doubtless  hesitate  to  believe 
that  such  a  state  of  things  could  ever  have  existed  in  a  na- 
tion calling  itself  independent;  but,  in  the  first  place,  it 
must  be  remembered,  that  the  passions  of  factions  never 
leave  their  followers  independent  of  their  artifices  and  de- 
signs; and,  in  the  next  place,  all  who  knew  the  state  of  this 
country  in  1804,  must  admit  it  was  not  independent  in  mind, 
of  either  England  or  France.     Facts  precede  thought   in 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  4OI 

everything  among  us;  and  public  opinion  was  as  much  in 
arrears  of  the  circumstances  of  the  country,  then,  as — as — 
to  what  shall  I  liken  it? — why,  as  it  is  to-day.  I  know  no 
better  or  truer  parallel.  I  make  no  doubt  that  the  same 
things  would  be  acted  over  again,  were  similar  wrongs  to  be 
committed  by  the  same  powerful  belligerents. 

Marble  was  ludicrously  enraged  at  these  little  instances 
of  the  want  of  true  nationality  in  his  countrymen.  He  was 
not  a  man  to  be  bullied  into  holding  his  tongue;  and,  for 
years  afterward,  he  expressed  his  opinions  on  the  subject 
of  an  American's  losing  his  ship  and  cargo,  as  I  had  lost 
mine,  without  even  a  hope  of  redress,  with  a  freedom  that 
did  more  credit  to  his  sense  of  right  than  to  his  prudence. 
As  for  myself,  as  has  just  been  said,  I  never  even  attempted 
to  procure  justice.  I  knew  its  utter  hopelessness;  and  the 
Dawn  and  her  cargo  went  with  the  hundreds  of  other  ships 
and  cargoes  that  were  sunk  in  the  political  void  created  by 
the  declaration  of  war  in  18 12. 

This  is  an  unpleasant  subject  to  me.  I  could  gladly  have 
passed  it  over,  for  it  proves  that  the  political  association  of 
this  country  failed  in  one  of  the  greatest  ends  of  all  such 
associations;  but  nothing  is  ever  gained  by  suppressing 
truth,  on  such  a  matter.  Let  those  who  read  reflect  on  the 
past :  it  may  possibly  have  a  tendency  to  render  the  future 
more  secure,  giving  to  the  American  citizen,  in  reality, 
some  of  those  rights  which  it  so  much  accords  with  our 
habits  to  boast  of  his  possessing.  If  concealment  did  any 
good,  I  would  gladly  be  silent;  but  diseases  in  the  body 
politic  require  a  bold  and  manly  treatment,  even  more  than 
those  in  the  physical  system.  I  remember  the  tone  of  the 
presses  of  the  trading  towns  of  this  country  on  the  subject 
of  the  late  French  treaty — one  of  the  most  flagitious  in- 
stances of  contempt,  added  to  wrong,  of  which  history  sup- 
plies an  instance,  and  will  own  I  do  not  feel  much  encour- 
aged to  hope  for  any  great  improvement. 

After  we  got  rid  of  Colonel  No.  2,  Marble  and  I  contin- 
36  • 


402  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

ued  our  walk.  We  passed  several  persons  of  my  acquaint- 
ance, but  not  one  of  them  recognized  me  in  my  present 
attire.  I  was  not  sorry  to  see  this,  as  I  was  wearied  of  my 
story,  and  could  gladly  remain  in  a  species  of  incognito,  for 
a  few  days.  But  New  York  was  comparatively  a  small 
town  in  1804,  and  everybody  knew  almost  everybody's  face 
who  was  anybody.  There  was  little  real  hope,  therefore,  of 
my  escaping  recognition  for  any  great  length  of  time. 

We  strolled  up  above  St.  Paul's,  then  a  high  quarter  of 
the  town,  and  where  a  few  houses  had  been  erected  in  what 
was  then  a  new  and  enlarged  style.  On  the  stoop  of  one  of 
these  patrician  residences — to  use  a  word  that  has  since 
come  much  into  use — I  saw  a  fashionably-dressed  man, 
standing,  picking  his  teeth,  with  the  air  of  its  master.  I 
had  nearly  passed  this  person,  when  an  exclamation  from 
him,  and  his  calling  my  mate  by  name,  caused  me  to  stop. 
It  was  Rupert ! 

"Marble,  my  dear  fellow,  why,  how  fare  you? "  said  our 
old  shipmate,  descending  the  steps,  with  an  indolent,  half- 
cordial,  half -condescending  manner;  extending  his  hand  at 
the  same  time,  which  Moses  received  and  shook  heartily. 
"The  sight  of  you  reminds  me  of  old  times  and  saltwater!  " 

"  Mr.  Hardinge,"  answered  my  mate,  who  knew  nothing 
of  Rupert's  defects,  beyond  his  want  of  appetite  for  the  sea, 
"  I'm  heartily  glad  to  fall  in  with  you.  Do  your  father  and 
handsome  sister  live  here?  " 

"Not  they,  old  Moses,"  answered  Rupert,  still  without 
casting  his  eyes  on  me.  "  This  is  my  own  house,  in  which 
I  shall  be  very  happy  to  see  you,  and  to  make  you  acquainted 
with  my  wife,  who  is  also  an  old  acquaintance  of  yours — 
Miss  Emily  Merton  that  was — the  daughter  of  General 
Merton,  of  the  British  army." 

"  Blast  the  British  army !  and  blast  the  British  navy,  too !  " 
cried  Marble,  with  more  feeling  than  manners.  "But  for 
the  last,  our  old  friend  Miles,  here,  would  now  be  a  rich 
man." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  4O3 

" Miles!  "  Rupert  repeated,  with  an  astonishment  that  had 
more  nature  in  it  than  had  been  usual  with  him  of  late 
years.  "  This  is  true,  then,  and  you  have  not  been  lost  at 
sea,  Wallingford? " 

"  I  am  living,  as  you  may  see,  Mr.  Hardinge,  and  glad  of 
this  opportunity  to  inquire  after  your  father  and  sister." 

"Both  are  well,  I  thank  you;  the  old  gentleman,  in  par- 
ticular, will  be  delighted  to  see  you.  He  has  felt  your  mis- 
fortune keenly,  and  did  all  he  could  to  avert  the  sad  affair 
about  Clawbonny.  You  know  he  could  as  well  raise  a 
million,  as  raise  five  or  ten  thousand  dollars;  and  poor  Lucy 
is  still  a  minor,  and  can  only  touch  her  income,  the  savings 
of  which  were  insufficient,  just  then.  We  did  all  we  could, 
I  can  assure  you,  Wallingford;  but  I  was  about  commenc- 
ing housekeeping,  and  was  in  want  of  cash  at  the  moment, 
and  you  know  how  it  is  under  such  circumstances.  Poor 
Clawbonny!  I  was  exceedingly  sorry  when  I  heard  of  it; 
though  they  say  this  Mr.  Daggett,  your  successor,  is  going 
to  do  wonders  with  it — a  capitalist,  they  tell  me,  and  able 
to  carry  out  all  his  plans." 

"  I  am  glad  Clawbonny  has  fallen  into  good  hands,  since 
it  has  passed  out  of  mine.  Good  evening,  Mr.  Hardinge,  I 
shall  take  an  early  opportunity  to  find  your  father,  and  to 
learn  the  particulars." 

"Yes;  he'll  be  exceedingly  glad  to  see  you,  Wallingford; 
and  I'm  sure  it  will  always  afford  me  pleasure  to  aid  you, 
in  any  way  I  can.  I  fear  it  must  be  very  low  water  with 
you?" 

"  If  having  nothing  to  meet  a  balance  of  some  twenty  or 
thirty  thousand  dollars  of  unpaid  debt  is  what  you  call  low 
water,  the  tide  is  out  of  my  pocket,  certainly.  But  I  shall 
not  despair;  I  am  young,  and  have  a  noble,  manly  profes- 
sion." 

"Yes,  I  dare  say  you'll  do  remarkably  well,  Wallingford," 
Rupert  answered,  in  a  patronizing  manner.  "You  were 
always  an  enterprising  f eltew ;    and  one  need  have  no  great 


404  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

concern  for  you.  It  would  hardly  be  delicate  to  ask  you  to 
see  Mrs.  Hardinge,  just  as  you  are — not  but  you  appear  un- 
commonly well  in  your  round-about,  but  I  know  precisely 
how  it  is  with  young  men  when  there  are  ladies  in  the  case; 
and  Emily  is  a  little  over-refined,  perhaps." 

"  Yet,  Mrs.  Hardinge  has  seen  me  often  in  a  round-about, 
and  passed  hours  in  my  company,  when  I  have  been  dressed 
just  as  I  am  at  this  moment." 

"  Ay,  at  sea.  One  gets  used  to  everything  at  sea.  Good 
evening;  I'll  bear  you  in  mind,  Wallingford,  and  may  do 
something  for  you.  I  am  intimate  with  the  heads  of  all  the 
principal  mercantile  houses,  and  shall  bear  you  in  mind, 
certainly.  Good  evening,  Wallingford.  A  word  with  you, 
Marble,  before  we  part." 

I  smiled  bitterly,  and  walked  proudly  from  before  Ru- 
pert's door.  Little  did  I  then  know  that  Lucy  was  seated 
within  thirty  feet  of  me,  listening  to  Andrew  Drewett's  con- 
versation and  humor.  Of  the  mood  in  which  she  was  list- 
ening, I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  presently.  As  for 
Marble,  when  he  overtook  me,  I  was  informed  that  Rupert 
had  stopped  him  in  order  to  ascertain  our  address;  a  piece 
of  condescension  for  which  I  had  not  the  grace  to  be  thank- 
ful. 


CHAPTER   XXVIL 


The  weary  sun  hath  made  a  golden  set, 
And,  by  the  bright  track  of  his  fiery  car, 
Gives  token  of  a  goodly  day  to-morrow. 

Shakspeark. 

I  WAS  quite  as  much  surprised  at  my  own  manner  toward 
Rupert,  as  he  could  be  himself.  No  doubt  he  ascribed  it  to 
my  fallen  fortune,  for,  at  the  commencement  of  the  inter- 
view, he  was  a  good  deal  confused,  and  his  confidence  rose 
in  proportion  as  he  fancied  mine  was  lessened.  The  mod- 
eration I  manifested,  however,  was  altogether  owing  to  Lucy, 
whose  influence  on  my  feelings  never  ceased.,    As  for  Mar- 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  4O5 

ble,  he  thought  all  was  right,  and  was  very  decided  in  his 
approval  of  Rupert's  behavior  and  appearance. 

"  'Tisn't  every  man  that  can  make  a  seaman,  Miles,"  he 
said,  "for  it's  a  gift  that  comes  nat'rally,  like  singing,  or 
rope-dancing.  I  dare  say  Rupert  will  do  very  well  ashore, 
in  the  gentleman  line,  though  he's  no  great  catch  afloat,  as 
all  will  admit  who  ever  sailed  with  him.  The  lad  don't 
want  for  stuff,  but  it's  shore  stuff  a'ter  all;  and  that  will 
never  pass  muster  in  blue  water.  I  dare  say,  now,  this 
Imperor-Gineral,  Bonaparte,  would  make  a  bloody  poor 
shipmaster,  if  a  body  was  to  try  him." 

I  made  no  answer,  and  we  strolled  on  until  dark.  Then 
we  returned  to  our  lodgings,  and  turned  in.  Next  morning 
we  breakfasted  with  the  rest,  and  I  was  about  to  set  out  in 
search  of  a  lawyer,  to  take  his  opinion  on  the  subject  of  my 
insurance,  though  I  had  little  or  no  hope  of  recovering  any- 
thing, when  I  was  told  two  gentlemen  wished  to  see  me. 
At  first  sight,  I  fancied  that  more  editors  were  in  quest  of 
news;  but  we  were  no  sooner  alone  together,  than  one  of 
these  persons  let  me  into  the  secret  of  his  errand,  in  a  way 
that  was  well  enough  as  respects  the  suaviter  in  modo,  while 
it  could  not  be  said  to  be  in  the  least  deficient  in  iheforiiier 
in  re. 

"I  am  sorry  to  say.  Captain  Wallingford,"  this  person 
commenced,  "  that  I  have  a  writ  to  arrest  you,  for  a  sum  that 
will  require  very  respectable  bail,  no  less  than  sixty  thou- 
sand dollars." 

"Well  done,  my  upright  cousin,"  I  muttered;  "this  is 
losing  no  time,  certainly.  I  owe  half  that  money,  I  admit, 
sir,  if  my  farm  only  sold  for  five  thousand  dollars,  as  I  hear, 
and  I  suppose  I  am  arrested  for  the  penalty  of  my  bond. 
But,  at  whose  suit  am  I  thus  pursued  t  " 

Here,  the  second  person  announced  himself  as  the  attor- 
ney of  the  plaintiff,  excusing  his  presence  on  the  pretence 
that  he  hoped  to  be  of  service  in  amicably  arranging  the 
affair.  • 


406  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  My  client  is  Mr.  Thomas  Daggett,  of  Clawbonny,  Ulster 
county,  who  holds  your  bonds  as  the  administrator  of  the 
estate  of  the  late  John  Wallingford,  deceased,  a  gentleman 
to  whom  I  believe  you  were  related." 

"  The  late  John  Wallingford !     Is  my  cousin  then  dead  ?  " 

"  He  departed  this  life  eight  months  since,  dying  quite 
unexpectedly.  Letters  of  administration  have  been  granted 
to  Mr.  Daggett,  who  is  a  son  of  his  mother's  sister,  and  a 
principal  heir,  the  party  dying  intestate.  It  is  a  great  pity 
that  the  law  excludes  you  from  the  succession,  being  as  you 
are  of  the  name." 

"  My  kinsman  gave  me  reason  to  think  I  was  to  be  his 
heir,  as  it  was  understood  he  was  to  be  mine.  My  will  in 
his  favor  was  left  in  his  hands." 

"  We  are  aware  of  that,  sir,  and  your  death  being  sup- 
posed, for  a  considerable  period,  it  was  thought  your  per- 
sonals would  descend  to  us,  in  part,  by  devise,  which  might 
have  prevented  the  necessity  of  taking  the  unpleasant  step 
to  which  we  are  now  driven.  The  question  was,  which  died 
first,  you,  or  your  cousin,  and  that  fact,  you  will  easily  un- 
derstand, we  had  no  means  of  establishing.  As  it  is,  the 
duty  of  the  administrator  compels  him  to  proceed,  with  as 
little  delay  as  possible." 

"  I  have  no  alternative,  then,  but  to  go  to  jail.  I  know 
not  the  person  on  earth  I  can  or  could  ask  to  become  my 
bail  for  a  sum  as  large  as  even  that  I  justly  owe,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  the  penalty  of  the  bond." 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  this.  Captain  Wallingford,"  Mr. 
Meekly,  the  attorney,  very  civilly  replied.  "  We  will  walk 
together,  leaving  the  officer  to  follow.  Perhaps  the  matter 
may  be  arranged  amicably." 

"  With  all  my  heart,  sir.  But,  before  quitting  this  house, 
I  will  discharge  my  bill,  and  communicate  my  position  to  a 
couple  of  friends,  who  are  waiting  in  the  passage." 

Neb  was  one  of  these  friends,  for  I  felt  I  was  fast  getting 
into  a  condition  which  rendered  the  friendship  of  even  my 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  40/ 

slaves  of  importance  to  me.  That  worthy  fellow  and  Mar- 
ble joined  us  on  a  signal  from  me,  when  I  simply  let  them 
into  the  secret  of  my  affairs. 

"  Arrested !  "  said  Moses,  eying  the  sheriff's  officer  with 
sovereign  contempt,  though  he  was  a  sturdy  fellow,  and  one 
who  had  every  disposition  to  do  his  duty.  "Arrested! 
Why,  Miles,  you  can  handle  both  these  chaps  yourself,  and 
with  Neb's  and  my  assistance,  could  work  'em  up  into  spun- 
yarn  without  a  winch! " 

"That  may  be  true,  Moses,  but  I  cannot  handle  the  law, 
even  with  your  powerful  aid;  nor  should  I  wish  to  if  I 
could.  I  am  bound  to  jail,  my  friends,  having  no  bail, 
so " 

"Bail!  Why  7'11  be  your  bail;  and  if  you  want  two, 
there's  Neb." 

"I  fancy  the  gentleman  don't  much  understand  being 
taken  on  a  writ,"  the  attorney  simpered. 

"I  not  understand  it!  That's  a  bloody  poor  guess  of 
your'n,  my  friend.  When  we  had  the  scrape  with  the  Ham- 
burghers,  in  Philadelphy,  it's  now  coming  thirty  years " 

"  Never  mind  all  that  just  now,  Moses.  I  wish  you  to 
pay  my  bill  here;  give  Neb  the  small  bag  of  my  clothes  to 
bring  up  to  the  jail,  and  keep  my  other  effects  under  your 
own  care.  Of  course  you  will  come  to  see  me  by-and-by; 
but  I  now  order  you  not  to  follow  us." 

I  then  left  the  house  with  a  rapidity  that  gave  the  officer 
some  uneasiness,  I  believe.  Once  in  the  street,  however, 
my  pace  became  more  moderate,  and  dropping  alongside  of 
the  attorney,  we  fell  into  discourse  on  the  subject  of  the 
arrangement. 

"To  be  frank  with  you,  Captain  Wallingford,"  said 
Meekly,  "my  client  never  expects  to  recover  the  full  amount 
of  his  demand;  it  being  understood  your  personals  are  now 
limited  to  certain  jewelry,  the  stock  of  your  late  farm,  a  few 
negroes,  a  sloop,  some  furniture,  etc.  No,  sir,  we  do  not 
expect  to  obtain  the  wfeole  of  our  demand.     Certain  securi- 


408  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

ties  in  our  hands  will  extinguish  much  of  it,  though  a  large 
balance  will  remain." 

"  As  Mr.  Daggett  has  already  got  real  estate  richly  worth 
five-and-thirty  thousand  dollars,  and  which  brings  a  clear 
two  thousand  a  year,  to  say  nothing  of  its  advantages  as  a 
residence,  besides  bonds  and  mortgages  for  twenty-odd  thou- 
sand more,  I  am  fully  sensible  of  his  moderation.  The 
forty  thousand  dollars  I  owed  my  cousin  will  be  amply  re- 
paid to  his  heirs,  though  I  pass  my  life  in  jail." 

"You  misapprehend  the  affair,  entirely.  Mr.  Daggett 
does  not  hold  Clawbonny  as  administrator  at  all,  but  as  a 
purchaser  under  a  mortgage  sale.  He  did  not  buy  it  him- 
self, of  course,  but  has  received  a  deed  from  a  nephew  of 
his,  who  was  a  bona  fide  bidder.  The  amount  bid — five  thou- 
sand two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars — is  duly  endorsed  on 
your  bond,  and  you  have  credit  for  it.  If  no  one  bid  higher, 
the  property  had  to  go." 

"Yes,  sir;  I  very  well  understand  how  property  goes,  in 
the  absence  of  the  debtor,  at  forced  sales.  But  what  is  the 
nature  of  the  proposition  you  intend  to  make  ? " 

"  Mr.  Daggett  understands  you  possess  some  very  valua- 
ble pearls,  that  are  supposed  to  be  worth  one  thousand  dol- 
lars, with  a  good  deal  of  plate,  etc.,  etc.  Now,  he  proposes 
that  you  assign  to  the  estate  he  represents  all  your  personals 
at  an  appraisal,  when  he  will  credit  you  with  the  amount, 
and  suspend  proceedings  for  the  balance.  In  a  word,  give 
you  time." 

"  And  what  idea  has  Mr.  Daggett  of  the  sum  I  should 
thus  receive? " 

"  He  is  disposed  to  be  liberal,  and  thinks  you  might  get 
credit  for  about  four  thousand  dollars." 

"My  personal  property,  including  the  pearls  of  which 
you  speak,  quite  a  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  plate,  even  at 
the  price  of  old  silver,  the  sloop,  the  stock,  horses,  carriages, 
farming  utensils,  and  without  counting  the  slaves,  all  of 
whom  I  intend  to  set  free,  if  the  law  will  allow  it,  must 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  4O9 

nearly  or  quite  double  that  sum,  sir.  Unless  Mr.  Dagget  is 
disposed  to  raise  his  views  of  the  value  of  my  effects,  I 
should  prefer  to  remain  in  custody,  and  see  what  I  can  do 
by  private  sale.  As  he  will  receive  every  cent  of  the  secur- 
ities received  from  my  sister's  estate,  quite  $22,000,  and 
now  possesses  more  than  $5,000  from  Claw  bonny,  the  bal- 
ance I  shall  really  owe  cannot  exceed  $13,000." 

"  Were  you  to  confess  judgment,  sir,  and  leave  the  prop- 
erty under  execution " 

"  I'll  do  nothing  of  the  sort,  Mr.  Meekly — on  that  subject 
my  mind  is  made  up.  One  forced  sale  is  quite  enough  for 
a  novice." 

"We  shall  soon  reach  the  jail,  sir — perhaps  its  sight 
may " 

"  It  will  not,  sir.  Whenever  Mr.  Daggett  shall  be  dis- 
posed to  receive  my  property  at  a  just  valuation,  I  may  be 
ready  to  arrange  the  matter  with  him,  for  I  have  no  disposi- 
tion to  deny  the  debt,  or  to  avoid  its  payment;  but,  as  he 
has  adopted  his  own  mode  of  proceeding,  I  am  ready  to 
abide  by  it.  Good  morning,  Mr.  Meekly;  I  see  no  use  in 
your  accompanying  me  any  further." 

I  was  thus  decided,  because  I  saw  I  had  to  deal  with  an 
extortioner.  A  rogue  himself,  Mr.  Daggett  was  afraid  I 
might  get  rid  of  my  personal  property  before  he  could  issue 
an  execution  by  the  regular  mode;  and  he  anticipated  fright- 
ening or  constraining  me  into  an  arrangement.  It  would  be 
my  business  to  disappoint  him;  and  I  assumed  an  air  of 
confidence  that  soon  shook  off  my  companion.  A  few  min- 
utes later,  the  key  of  the  old  stone  debtor's  jail  was  turned 
upon  me.  I  had  a  little  money,  and  reluctant  to  be  shut  up 
with  the  company  I  found  in  the  building,  I  succeeded  in 
procuring  a  small,  ill-furnished  room,  to  myself. 

These  preliminaries  were  hardly  settled,  when  Neb  was 
admitted  with  the  bag.  The  poor  fellow  had  been  in  tears; 
for  he  not  only  felt  for  me,  but  he  felt  for  the  disgrace  and 
misfortune  which  had*  alighted  on   the  whole   Clawbonny 


4IO  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Stock.  He  had  yet  to  learn  that  the  place  itself  was  gone, 
and  I  shrank  from  telling  him  the  fact;  for,  to  his  simple 
mind,  it  would  be  like  forcing  body  and  soul  asunder.  All 
the  negroes  considered  themselves  as  a  part  of  Clawbonny, 
and  a  separation  must  have  appeared  in  their  eyes  like  some 
natural  convulsion.  Neb  brought  me  a  letter.  It  was  sealed 
with  wax,  and  bore  the  impression  of  the  Hardinge  arms. 
There  was  also  an  envelope,  and  the  address  had  been  writ- 
ten by  Rupert.  In  short,  everything  about  this  letter  de- 
noted ease,  fashion,  fastidiousness,  and  the  observance  of 
forms.  I  lost  no  time  in  reading  the  contents,  which  I  copy, 
verbatim. 

"  Broadway^  Wednesday  morning. 
"Dear  Wallingford: 

"  It  has  just  occurred  to  me  that  the  enclosed  may  be  of 
service  to  you;  and  I  reproach  myself  for  not  having  be- 
thought me  of  your  probable  necessities  when  I  saw  you. 
I  regret  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  ask  you  to  dine  with  me, 
enjamille^  to-day;  but  Mrs.  Hardinge  has  company,  and  we 
are  engaged  out  every  other  day  this  week.  I  shall  fall  in 
with  you  again,  some  day,  however,  when  I  hope  to  be  less 
engaged.  Lucy  has  just  heard  of  your  safety  and  arrival, 
and  has  gone  to  write  a  note  to  my  father,  who  will  be  glad 
to  learn  that  you  are  still  in  the  land  of  the  living.  The 
general,  who  lives  with  us,  desires  to  be  mentioned,  and 
hopes  when  he  returns  to  England,  it  may  be  as  your  pas- 
senger. Adieu,  dear  Wallingford;  I  shall  never  forget  our 
boyish  pranks,  which,  I  dare  say,  sometimes  cause  you  to 
smile.  Yours,  etc., 

"Rupert  Hardinge." 

This  letter  contained  a  bank-note  for  twenty  dollars! 
Yes,  the  man  to  whom  I  had  given  twenty  thousand  dollars, 
sent  me,  in  my  distress,  this  generous  donation,  to  relieve 
my  wants.  I  need  hardly  say  I  sent  the  bank-note  back  to 
him  by  the  hands  of  Neb,  on  the  instant,  with  a  cold  note 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  4II 

of  acknowledgment.     I  had  no  occasion  for  his  charity,  at 
least. 

I  passed  a  most  uncomfortable  hour  alone,  after  Neb  was 
gone.  Then  a  turnkey  came  to  inform  me  that  a  gentleman 
and  lady — a  clergyman,  he  believed — were  in  the  private 
parlor,  and  wished  to  see  me.  It  was  doubtless  Mr.  Har- 
dinge — could \i\^  companion  be  Lucy?  I  was  too  anxious, 
too  eager,  to  lose  any  time,  and,  rushing  toward  the  room, 
was  at  once  admitted.  There  they  were — Lucy  and  her 
father.  Neb  had  seen  Chloe,  in  calling  at  Rupert's  door — 
had  heard  much  and  told  much.  Mr.  Hardinge  was  on  the 
point  of  going  in  quest  of  me;  but,  learning  where  I  was, 
he  had  barely  given  his  daughter  time  to  put  on  a  hat  and 
shawl,  and  conducting  her  across  the  Park,  brought  her 
himself  to  visit  me  in  prison.  I  saw,  at  a  glance,  that  Lucy 
was  dreadfully  agitated;  that  she  was  pale,  though  still 
handsomer  than  ever;  and  that  she  was  Lucy  herself,  in 
character,  as  in  person. 

"Miles,  my  dear,  dear  boy!  "  cried  the  good  old  divine, 
folding  me  in  his  arms,  "for  this  mercy,  may  God  alone 
receive  the  praise!  Everybody  gave  you  up,  but  Lucy  and 
myself,  and  we  could  not,  would  not  believe  you,  too,  were 
lost  to  us  forever !  '^ 

As  my  former  guardian  still  clasped  me  to  his  bosom,  as 
if  I  still  remained  a  child,  I  could  perceive  that  dear  Lucy 
was  weeping  as  if  ready  to  break  her  heart.  Then  she 
looked  up,  and  tried  to  smile ;  though  I  could  see  the  effort 
was  made  solely  on  my  account.  I  caught  her  extended 
hand,  and  kissed  it  over  and  over  again.  The  dear,  dear 
girl  trembled  in  every  fibre  of  her  body. 

"  All  my  misfortunes  are  forgotten,"  I  cried,  "  in  finding 
you  thus,  in  finding  you  unchanged,  in  finding  you  still 
Lucy  Hardinge ! " 

I  scarce  knew  what  I  was  uttering,  though  I  saw  Lucy's 
face  was  covered  with  blushes,  and  that  a  smile,  which  I 
found  of  inexplicable  sigpification,  now  rose  readily  enough 


412  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

to  her  beautiful  mouth.  On  the  whole,  I  think  there  must 
have  been  some  eight  or  ten  minutes,  during  which  neither 
of  the  three  knew  particularly  well  what  was  said  or  done. 
Lucy  was  both  smiles  and  tears;  though  keen  anxiety  to 
know  what  had  occurred,  and  how  I  came  to  be  in  jail,  was 
strongly  expressed  in  her  countenance,  as  well  as  in  some 
of  her  words.  As  for  myself,  I  was  beside  myself,  and 
acted  like  a  fool. 

After  a  time,  we  were  all  seated,  when  I  narrated  the 
manner  in  which  I  had  lost  my  ship,  and  the  reason  why 
Clawbonny  had  been  sold,  and  why  I  supposed  I  was  thus 
arrested. 

"I  am  glad  my  cousin,  John  Wallingford,  had  no  con- 
cern with  these  transactions;  though  I  deeply  regret  the 
reason  why  my  bond  has  passed  into  other  hands.  It  would 
have  rendered  my  misfortunes  still  harder  to  be  borne,  could 
I  suppose  that  a  kinsman  had  laid  so  deep  a  plot  to  ruin 
me,  under  the  semblance  of  kindness.  His  death,  however, 
sets  that  point  at  rest." 

"I  do  not  like  his  talking  of  making  you  his  heir,  and 
neglecting  to  do  it,"  rejoined  Mr.  Hardinge.  "  Men  should 
never  promise,  and  forget  to  redeem  their  words.  It  has  a 
suspicious  look." 

Lucy  had  not  spoken  the  whole  time  I  was  relating  my 
story.  Her  serene  eye  beamed  on  me  in  a  way  to  betray  the 
interest  she  felt;  but  not  a  syllable  escaped  her  until  her 
father  had  made  the  observation  just  given. 

"It  is  of  no  moment,  now,"  she  then  said,  "what  may 
have  been  the  motive  of  Mr.  John  Wallingford.  With 
Miles,  I  thought  him  a  rough,  but  an  honest  man ;  but  hon- 
est men  may  be  pardoned  for  not  foreseeing  their  own  sud- 
den deaths.  The  question,  now,  my  dear  father,  is,  how 
Miles  can  be  got  out  of  this  wretched  place,  in  the  shortest 
possible  time." 

"Ay,  Miles,  my  dear  boy;  Heaven  forbid  you  should 
sleep  in  such  a  spot.     How  shall  we  go  to  work?  " 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  413 

"I  am  afraid,  sir,  I  shall  sleep  many  nights  here.  The 
debt  I  really  owe  is  about  thirteen  thousand  dollars;  and 
the  writ,  I  believe,  is  issued  for  the  entire  penalty  of  the 
bond.  As  the  motive  for  arresting  me  is,  probably,  to  drive 
me  into  a  compromise,  by  confessing  judgment,  and  giving 
up  my  personal  property  to  be  sacrificed,  as  Clawbonny  has 
been,  it  is  not  probable  that  bail  for  a  less  amount  than  the 
law  allows  the  plaintiff  to  claim,  will  be  received.  I  do 
not  know  the  man  who  will  become  surety  for  me  in  that 
amount." 

"  Well,  I  know  two — Rupert  and  myself." 

The  idea  of  receiving  such  a  favor  from  Rupert  was  par- 
ticularly unpleasant  to  me;  and  I  saw  by  the  expression  of 
Lucy's  face  that  she  entered  into  my  feelings. 

"I  am  afraid,  sir,"  I  said,  after  thanking  Mr.  Hardinge 
by  a  warm  pressure  of  the  hand,  "that  you  are  not  rich 
enough.  The  deputy  sheriff  has  told  me  he  has  instructions 
to  be  rigid  about  the  bail;  and  I  apprehend  neither  you, 
nor  Rupert,  can  swear  he  is  worth  fifty  thousand  dollars." 

"Bless  me!  bless  me!     Is  that  really  necessary.  Miles?  " 

"  If  required,  I  believe  the  law  insists  on  security  to  the 
amount  of  the  judgment  claimed.  Rupert  lives  largely,  I 
see,  and  yet  I  doubt  if  he  would  be  willing  to  swear  to  that." 

Mr.  Hardinge's  face  became  very  sorrowful;  and  he 
paused  a  moment  before  answering. 

"  I  am  not  in  Rupert's  secrets,  neither  is  Lucy,"  he  then 
said.  "I  hope  all  is  right;  though  the  thought  that  he 
might  possibly  play,  has  sometimes  crossed  my  anxious 
mind.  He  is  married  to  Miss  Merton ;  has  purchased  and 
furnished  a  Broadway  house,  and  is  living  at  a  large  rate. 
When  I  spoke  to  him  on  the  subject,  he  asked  me  if  I 
thought  *  English  ladies  of  condition  gave  empty  hands  in 
marriage.'  I  don't  know  how  it  is,  my  dear  Miles,  but  I 
always  fancied  that  the  Mertons  had  nothing  but  the  colo- 
nel's salary  to  live  on." 

"  Major  Merton,"  I  afiswered,  laying  an  emphasis  on  the 


414  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

brevet  rank  the  worthy  individual  actually  possessed,  "  Major 
Merton  has  told  me  as  much  as  this,  himself." 

Mr.  Hardinge  actually  groaned,  and  I  saw  that  Lucy 
turned  pale  as  death.  The  former  had  no  knowledge  of  the 
true  character  of  his  son ;  but  he  had  all  the  apprehensions 
that  a  father  would  naturally  feel  under  such  circumstances. 
I  saw  the  necessity — nay,  the  humanity,  of  relieving  both. 

"  You  know  me  too  well,  my  dear  guardian — excellent 
Lucy — to  think  that  I  would  deliberately  deceive  either  of 
you.  What  I  now  tell  you,  is  to  prevent  Rupert  from  being 
too  harshly  judged.  I  know  whence  Rupert  derived  a  large 
sum  of  money,  previously  to  my  sailing.  It  was  legally  ob- 
tained, and  is,  or  was,  rightfully  his.  I  do  not  say  it  was 
large  enough  long  to  maintain  him  in  the  style  in  which  he 
lives;  but  it  can  so  maintain  him  a  few  years.  You  need 
fear  neither  cards,  nor  positive  dishonesty.  Rupert  has  no 
disposition  for  either;  he  dislikes  the  first,  and  is  too  pru- 
dent for  the  last." 

"God  be  thanked  for  this!"  the  divine  exclaimed  de- 
voutly. "  I  had  really  frightened  myself  with  my  own  folly. 
So,  so,  Master  Rupert,  you  have  been  making  money  and 
holding  your  peace!  Well,  I  like  his  modesty;  Rupert  is 
clever,  Miles,  and  I  trust  will  one  day  take  an  honorable 
station  at  the  bar.  His  marriage  has  been  a  little  too  early 
for  one  of  his  means,  perhaps ;  but  I  feel  encouraged  now 
that  I  find  he  can  make  money  honorably,  and  legally,  and 
justly." 

I  had  said  nothing  of  the  honorable,  or  the  just;  but  what 
weakness  will  not  parental  affection  encourage?  As  for 
Lucy,  her  countenance  told  me  she  suspected  the  truth. 
Never  before  had  I  seen  on  those  usually  placid,  and  always 
lovely  features,  an  expression  of  so  much  humiliation.  For 
a  single  instant,  it  almost  amounted  to  anguish.  Recover- 
ing her  self-possession,  however,  she  was  the  first  to  turn 
the  discourse  to  its  proper  channel. 

"  All  this  time  we  are  forgetting  Miles,"  she  said.     "  It 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  415 

would  seem,  father,  that  he  thinks  neither  you,  nor  Rupert, 
rich  enough  to  be  his  bail — can  I  be  of  any  use  in  this 
way?" 

Lucy  spoke  firmly,  and  in  the  manner  of  one  who  was  be- 
ginning to  be  accustomed  to  consider  herself  of  some  account 
in  the  way  of  money;  but  a  bright  flush  suffused  her  face, 
as  she  thus  seemed  to  make  herself  of  more  moment  than 
was  her  wont — to  pass  out  of  her  sex,  as  it  might  be. 

"  A  thousand  thanks,  dearest  Lucy,  for  the  offer,"  I  said, 
eagerly,  "  but  could  you  become  my  bail,  I  certainly  would 
not  permit  it.  It  is  enough  that  you  come  to  visit  me  here, 
without  further  connecting  your  name  with  my  debts.  A 
minor,  however,  cannot  Lecome  security.  Mr.  Daggett  will 
keep  me  here  a  few  weeks;  when  he  finds  I  am  employing 
agents  to  sell  my  effects,  I  fancy  he  is  sufficiently  a  rogue 
himself  to  apprehend  the  money  will  get  beyond  the  reach 
of  his  execution,  and  he  will  offer  to  compromise.  Once  at 
large,  I  can  always  go  to  sea ;  if  not  as  master,  at  least  as  a 
mate." 

"  Had  we  been  as  proud  as  yourself.  Miles,  Clawbonny 
would  have  been  less  dear  to  us." 

"  It  is  not  pride,  but  propriety,  Lucy,  to  prevent  you  from 
doing  a  thing  for  which  there  is  no  necessity,  and  which 
might  subject  you  to  impertinent  observations.  No,  I'll  set 
about  disposing  of  my  personal  property  at  once;  that  will 
soon  bring  Mr.  Daggett  to  some  sense  of  decency." 

"  If  a  minor  cannot  be  received  as  bail,  there  is  no  more 
to  be  said,"  Lucy  answered ;  "  else  would  I  prove  to  you, 
Miles,  that  I  can  be  as  obstinate  as  you  are  yourself.  At 
all  events,  I  can  be  a  purchaser  of  jewels,  if  wanting  a  few 
months  of  my  majority ;  fortunately,  I  have  nearly  a  year's 
income  on  hand.  You  see.  Miles" — Lucy  again  blushed 
brightly,  though  she  smiled — "what  an  accountant  I  am 
getting  to  be — but  I  can  commence  at  once  by  purchasing 
your  pearls.  They  are  already  in  my  possession  for  safe 
keeping,  and  many  is  tfee  covetous  glance  they  have  re- 


4l6  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

ceived  from  me.  Those  precious  pearls!  I  think  you 
valued  them  at  three  thousand  dollars,  Miles,"  Lucy  contin- 
ued, "  and  my  father  will  at  once  pay  you  that  sum  on  my 
behalf.  Then  send  for  the  lawyer  of  your  persecutor,  for  I 
can  call  him  nothing  else,  and  offer  to  pay  that  much  on  his 
demand  provided  he  will  accept  my  father  as  bail.  If  he 
be  the  sort  of  being  you  fancy  him,  and  so  his  acts  I  think 
prove  him  to  be,  he  will  be  glad  to  accept  the  offer." 

I  was  delighted  at  the  readiness  of  resources  this  proved 
in  Lucy,  nor  was  the  project  in  the  least  unlikely  to  suc- 
ceed. Could  I  get  four  or  five  thousand  dollars  together,  I 
had  no  doubt  Daggett  would  accept  Mr.  Hardinge  for  bail, 
as  it  was  only  as  surety  for  my  appearance  in  court.  That 
was  then  required,  and  no  one  could  really  think  I  would 
abscond  and  leave  my  olcf  guardian  in  the  lurch.  Still,  I 
could  not  think  of  thus  robbing  Lucy.  Left  to  her  own  sense 
of  propriety,  I  well  knew  she  would  never  dream  of  invest- 
ing so  large  a  sum  as  the  pearls  were  really  worth,  in  orna- 
ments for  her  person,  and  the  pearls  were  worth  but  little 
more  than  half  the  sum  she  had  named. 

"This  will  not  do,"  I  answered,  expressing  my  gratitude 
with  my  eyes,  "  and  no  more  need  be  said  about  it.  I  can- 
not rob  you,  dearest  Lucy,  because  you  are  so  ready  to  sub- 
mit to  be  robbed.  Leave  me  here  a  few  days,  and  Mr. 
Meekly  will  come  to  volunteer  a  plan  of  setting  me  free." 

"I  have  it!  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Hardinge,  jumping  up  and 
seizing  his  hat.  "Lucy,  I'll  be  back  in  fifteen  minutes; 
then  we'll  bear  Miles  off  in  triumph,  to  your  own  house. 
Yes,  yes,  the  scheme  cannot  fail,  with  a  lawyer  of  any  re- 
spectability." 

"  May  I  know  what  it  is,  dear  papa?  "  Lucy  asked,  glanc- 
ing expressively  toward  me. 

"  Why  it's  just  this.  I'll  go  and  find  the  bishop,  who'll 
do  anything  to  oblige  me,  and  he  and  I'll  go,  in  company, 
to  this  Mr.  Meekly's  office,  and  pledge  our  words  as  divines, 
that  Miles  shall  appear  in  court,  as  the  under-sheriff  told 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  417 

me  would  be  required,  when  all  will  be  settled  to  our  heart's 
content.  On  my  way  to  the  bishop's,  I'll  just  step  in  at  Rich- 
ard Harrison's  office,  and  take  his  opinion  in  the  matter." 

"  Well,  sir,  the  notion  of  seeing  Richard  Harrison  is  a 
good  one.  He  may  suggest  something  in  the  way  of  prac- 
tice that  will  be  useful  to  us.  If  you  could  step  across  the 
way  and  get  him  to  pay  me  a  short  visit,  I  should  be  infi- 
nitely obliged  to  you.  I  was  about  to  take  his  advice  on 
the  subject  of  my  insurance  when  arrested,  and  I  wish  that 
point  disposed  of." 

Mr.  Hardinge  listened  attentively,  and  then  he  left  the 
room,  telling  Lucy  he  would  be  back  in  a  few  minutes.  It 
might  have  been  an  awkward  situation  for  most  young  ladies, 
thus  to  be  left  alone  with  a  prisoner  in  jail ;  but  Lucy  was 
so  much  accustomed  to  the  intimacy  that  bound  us  together, 
I  do  not  think  its  peculiarities  struck  her  at  the  moment. 
When  her  father  went  out  of  the  room,  she  was  in  deep 
thought,  nor  did  she  appear  to  rouse  herself  from  it,  until 
he  had  been  gone  some  little  time.  Lucy  was  seated,  but  I 
had  risen  to  see  Mr.  Hardinge  to  the  door  of  the  room,  and 
was  walking  slowly  back  and  forth.  The  dear  girl  arose, 
came  to  me,  took  one  of  my  hands  in  both  her  own,  and 
looked  anxiously  into  my  face  for  some  little  time  ere  she 
spoke. 

"Miles,"  she  said,  "I  will  say  no  more  of  the  pearls,  no 
more  of  my  own  money,  and  will  prevent  all  allusion  to 
Rupert's  appearing  in  your  behalf,  if  you  will  accept  the 
bail  I  can  provide  for  you.  I  know  a  gentleman  who  will 
accept  my  word  as  his  surety,  who  is  rich  enough  to  be  re- 
ceived, and  who  is  under  a  deep  obligation  to  you,  for  I 
have  often  heard  him  say  as  much.  You  may  not  know  how 
ready  he  will  be  to  oblige  you,  but  I  do,  and  I  now  ask  you 
to  give  me  your  word  you  will  not  refuse  his  assistance,  even 
though  he  should  be  an  utter  stranger  to  you." 

"  How  is  it  possible,  Lucy,  that  you  can  have  any  knowl- 
edge of  such  a  person  ?  "       ^ 
27 


41 8  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  O !  you  cannot  imagine  what  a  woman  of  business  I  am 
becoming.  You  would  not  refuse  me  for  your  bail,  were  I 
a  man,  and  of  age.  Miles? " 

"  Certainly  not — feeling  as  I  do  toward  you,  Lucy,  I  would 
sooner  receive  such  a  favor  from  you,  than  from  any  human 
being.     But  you  are  not  a  man,  thank  God,  nor  of  age." 

"Then  promise  me  the  small  favor  of  accepting  this  ser- 
vice from  the  person  I  shall  send  to  you.  It  would  break 
all  our  hearts  to  think  you  were  remaining  here  in  jail, 
while  we  are  living  in  luxury.  I  will  not  relinquish  your 
hand,  till  you  give  me  a  promise." 

"That  look  is  sufficient,  Lucy;  I  promise  all  you  can 
ask." 

So  intense  had  the  feelings  of  the  dear  girl  become,  that 
she  burst  into  tears,  the  moment  her  mind  was  relieved,  and 
covered  her  face  with  both  hands.  It  was  but  a  passing 
burst  of  feeling,  and  a  radiant  smile  soon  chased  every  trace 
of  sorrow  from  her  sweet,  sweet  countenance. 

"  Now,  Miles,  I  am  certain  we  shall  soon  have  you  out  of 
this  horrid  place,"  she  cried ;  "  and  before  the  execution 
they  tell  us  of,  can  issue,  as  they  call  it,  we  shall  have  time 
to  make  some  proper  arrangement  for  you.  I  shall  be  of 
age,  by  that  time ;  and  I  can  at  least  become  your  creditor 
instead  of  that  odious  Mr.  Daggett.  You  would  not  hesi- 
tate to  owe  me  money.  Miles,  in  preference  to  him  ? " 

"  Dearest  Lucy,  there  is  nothing  I  would  not  be  willing  to 
owe  to  you,  and  that  in  preference  to  any  other  living  crea- 
ture, not  even  excepting  your  revered  and  beloved  father." 

Lucy  looked  deeply  gratified ;  and  I  saw  another  of  those 
inexplicable  smiles  lurking  around  her  lovely  mouth,  which 
almost  tempted  me  to  demand  an  explanation  of  its  mean- 
ing. Ere  there  was  time  for  this,  however,  her  countenance 
became  very,  very  sad,  and  she  turned  her  tearful  eyes 
toward  me. 

"Miles,  I  fear  I  understood  your  allusion,  when  you 
spoke   of   Rupert's   money,"    she   said.      "I   feared   poor, 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  419 

sainted  Grace  would  do  this ;  and  I  knew  you  would  strip 
yourself  of  every  dollar  to  comply  with  her  wishes.  I  won- 
der the  idea  never  occurred  to  me  before ;  but  it  is  so  hard 
to  think  ill  of  a  brother!  I  ask  no  questions,  for  I  see  you 
are  determined  not  to  answer  them — perhaps  have  given  a 
pledge  to  your  sister  to  that  effect;  but  we  cannot  live  under 
this  disgrace;  and  the  day  I  am  twenty-one,  this  grievous, 
grievous  wrong  must  be  repaired.  I  know  that  Grace's  for- 
tune had  accumulated  to  more  than  twenty  thousand  dollars; 
and  that  is  a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  all  you  owe,  and  to  leave 
you  enough  to  begin  the  world  anew." 

"  Even  were  what  you  fancy  true,  do  you  think  I  would 
consent  to  rob  you,  to  pay  Rupert's  debts?  " 

"  Talk  not  of  robbery.  I  could  not  exist  under  the  degra- 
dation of  thinking  any  of  us  had  your  money,  while  debt 
and  imprisonment  thus  hung  over  you.  There  is  but  one 
thing  that  can  possibly  prevent  my  paying  you  back  Grace's 
fortune,  the  day  I  am  of  age,  as  you  will  see.  Miles." 

Again  that  inexplicable  smile  passed  over  Lucy's  face, 
and  I  was  resolved  to  ask  its  meaning,  when  the  approach- 
ing footstep  of  Mr.  Hardinge  prevented  it. 

"  Mr.  Harrison  is  not  in,"  cried  the  divine,  as  he  entered 
the  room;  "but  I  left  a  note  for  him,  telling  him  that  his 
old  acquaintance,  Captain  Wallingford,  had  pressing  need 
of  his  services.  He  has  gone  to  Greenwich,  to  his  country 
place,  but  will  be  back  in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  I  have 
desired  he  will  come  to  Wall  street,  the  instant  he  can.  I 
would  not  blazon  your  misfortunes.  Miles;  but  the  moment 
he  arrives,  you  shall  hear  from  him.  He  is  an  old  school- 
fellow of  mine,  and  will  be  prompt  to  oblige  me.  Now, 
Miss  Lucy,  I  am  about  to  release  you  from  prison.  I  saw  a 
certain  Mr.  Drewett  walking  in  the  direction  of  Wall  street, 
and  had  the  charity  to  tell  him  you  would  be  at  home  in  ten 
minutes." 

Lucy  arose  with  an  alacrity  I  could  hardly  forgive.  The 
color  deepened  on  her  face,  aifd  I  thought  she  even  hurried 


420  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

her  father  away,  in  a  manner  that  was  scarcely  sufficiently 
reserved.  Ere  they  left  the  room,  however,  the  dear  girl 
took  an  opportunity  to  say,  in  a  low  voice,  "Remember, 
Miles,  I  hold  you  strictly  to  your  promise;  in  one  hour  you 
shall  be  free." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

She  half  enclosed  me  in  her  arms, 
She  pressed  me  with  a  meek  embrace  ; 

And  bending  back  her  head,  looked  up 
And  gazed  upon  my  face. 


COLBRIDGK. 


I  SAW  no  one  for  the  next  two  hours.  A  window  of  the 
parlor,  where  I  was  permitted  to  remain,  overlooked  the 
soi-disant  park — or  rather  Manhattan-6\^2Xi\. — and  it  was  not 
long  before  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  my  mate  and  Neb,  lying 
off  and  on,  or  blockading  the  jail,  lest  I  should  be  secretly 
carried  to  parts  unknown,  or  some  other  great  evil  should 
approach  me  from  without.  What  these  two  honest  and 
affectionate  fellows  meant  by  thus  maintaining  their  post  I 
did  not  know,  it  is  true ;  but  such  was  my  conjecture.  At 
length  Neb  disappeared,  and  was  absent  an  hour.  When  he 
returned,  he  had  a  coil  of  rope  over  his  shoulder,  when  the 
two  took  a  station  at  a  safe  distance  from  my  prison  and 
began  to  measure  off  fathoms,  to  cut,  knot,  and  splice.  I 
was  amused  with  their  diligence,  which  made  no  abatement 
until  it  was  interrupted  by  myself.  Of  the  manner  in  which 
that  was  effected  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  presently. 

About  two  hours  after  I  was  left  by  Lucy  and  her  father, 
a  keeper  came  to  announce  another  visitor.  I  was  expect- 
ing my  own  attorney  or  Mr.  Harrison;  but  the  reader  will 
judge  of  my  surprise  when  Andrew  Drewett  entered  the  room. 
He  was  accompanied  by  the  jailer,  who  held  a  letter  in  his 
hand,  and  who  astounded  me  by  saying: 

"Captain  Wallingford,  I  have  instructions  here  to  open 
the  door  for  you — bail  has  been  entered." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  421 

The  jailer  disappeared. 

"And  this  I  owe  to  you,  Mr.  Drewett!  " 

"  I  wish  I  could  say  as  much,  with  all  my  heart,  my  dear 
sir,"  Andrew  replied,  taking  my  hand,  and  giving  it  a  warm, 
cordial  shake;  "but  it  would  not  be  strictly  true.  After 
saving  my  life,  I  should  not  have  suffered  you  to  lie  in  jail 
for  want  of  so  small  a  favor  as  giving  bail  for  your  appear- 
ance in  court,  certainly ;  but  would,  and  will,  gladly  be  your 
special  bail  at  the  proper  time.  Let  the  credit  fall,  how- 
ever, only  where  it  is  due.  Miss  Hardinge  asked  me  to 
obtain  your  release,  and  her  wishes  are  second  only  to  my 
own  gratitude." 

This  was  said  in  a  frank,  manly  manner;  and  I  wondered 
I  had  never  viewed  Andrew  Drewett  in  a  light  so  favorable 
before.  He  had  improved  in  person,  bore  himself  like  a 
gentleman  I  now  thought,  and  was  every  way  a  pleasing, 
well-mannered,  well-dressed,  and  intelligent-looking  young 
man.  I  could  do  all  justice  to  him  but  pardon  him  Lucy's 
preference. 

"Lucy  can  never  forget  our  childish  intimacy,"  I  said,  a 
little  confused.  "  She  left  me,  declaring  an  intention  to  do 
something  of  the  sort;  though  I  confess  I  was  not  exactly 
prepared  for  this.  You  are  a  man  to  be  envied,  Mr. 
Drewett,  if  any  man  on  earth  is ! " 

Andrew  looked  embarrassed.  He  glanced  at  me,  colored, 
turned  his  look  out  at  the  window,  then,  by  a  vast  effort, 
seemed  to  regain  his  self-command. 

"I  believe  I  understand  you,  Wallingford,"  he  said. 
"You  mean,  in  being  engaged  to  Lucy  Hardinge?  " 

"  I  can  mean  nothing  else — all  I  hear — all  I  have  seen — 
this  last  act,  in  particular,  tells  me  as  much." 

"  All  have  then  told  you  wrong.  I  am  not  so  fortunate 
as  to  possess  the  affections  of  Miss  Hardinge;  and  no  man 
will  gain  her  hand  who  does  not  first  obtain  her  heart;  ay, 
and  her  whole  heart,  too."   ^ 

I  was  astounded !     What!     Lucy  not  engaged  to  Drewett; 


422  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

not  loving  him,  by  his  own  admission;  not  likely  to  love 
him !  I  believe  Andrew  had  no  difficulty  in  comprehending 
my  feelings  in  part,  for  he  seemed  disposed  to  continue  the 
subject;  and  what  was  infinitely  to  his  credit,  to  continue 
it  in  a  way  that  should  leave  no  unpleasant  uncertainty 
hanging  about  the  real  position  of  the  dear  girl. 

"  It  is  only  quite  lately,"  he  said,  "  that  I  have  seen  the 
great  injustice  that  I  and  my  family  have  unconsciously 
committed  toward  Miss  Hardinge.  As  you  are  an  old — a 
very  old  friend  of  hers,  I  will  be  explicit  with  you,  and  en- 
deavor, in  some  small  degree,  to  excuse  myself;  though  I 
feel  that  it  can  never  be  done  fully.  You  tell  me  that  you 
have  heard  I  was  engaged  to  Miss  Hardinge? " 

"  Unquestionably ;  I  think  it  was  the  opinion  of  her  own 
father;  though  he  must  have  believed  the  promise  condi- 
tional, as  Lucy  never  would  marry  without  his  approbation." 

"Mr.  Hardinge  has  then  been  strangely  misled.  It  is 
true,  Mr.  Wallingford,  that  I  have  long  admired  Miss 
Hardinge,  and  that  I  offered  myself  years  ago.  I  was  re- 
fused from  the  first.  But  Lucy  had  the  frankness  to  own 
that  she  was  free  to  dispose  of  her  hand ;  and  I  persevered 
contrary  to  her  advice,  her  wishes,  and  I  may  say,  her  en- 
treaties. I  think  she  esteems  me;  and  I  know  she  has  a 
strong  regard  for  my  mother,  who  is  almost  as  fond  of  her 
as  I  am  myself.  This  esteem  and  regard  I  hoped  might 
ripen  into  love,  and  my  presumption  has  brought  its  own 
punishment.  It  is  now  about  six  months — I  remember  it 
was  shortly  after  we  heard  of  your  probable  loss — that  I  had 
a  final  conversation  with  her  on  the  subject,  when  I  became 
convinced  my  prospects  were  hopeless.  Since  that  time  I 
have  endeavored  to  conquer  my  passion ;  for  love  unrequited, 
I  suppose  you  know,  will  not  last  forever;  and  I  have  so 
far  succeeded  as  to  tell  you  all  this  without  feeling  the 
pain  it  would  once  have  cost  me.  Still,  I  retain  the  deepest 
respect  for  Miss  Hardinge,  and  a  single  encouraging  look 
would  even  now  recall  me.     I  am  of  opinion,  however,  she 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  42$ 

intends  never  to  marry.  But,  let  us  quit  this  place,  which 
has  no  longer  any  claim  on  you." 

I  was  in  a  state  scarcely  to  know  what  I  did.  It  was 
comparatively  little  to  me  to  learn  I  was  free  myself,  after 
so  unexpectedly  learning  that  Lucy  was  also  free.  Lucy — 
whom  I  had  for  years  supposed  to  be  irrevocably  engaged, 
and  whom  I  had  continued  to  love,  even  against  hope. 
Andrew  Drewett,  I  fancied,  had  never  loved  as  I  did,  or  he 
would  not  have  made  the  speech  he  did;  or  his  love  for 
Lucy  had  not  been  a  part  of  his  existence  from  boyhood,  as 
mine  had  certainly  been.  While  all  these  thoughts  were 
passing  through  my  mind,  I  gave  a  few  directions,  took 
Drewett's  arm,  and  hurried  out  of  the  jail. 

I  confess  that  I  respired  more  freely  when  I  found  myself 
in  the  open  air.  My  companion  took  my  direction,  and  I 
led  him  to  the  spot  where  Marble  and  Neb  were  still  at 
work  on  their  rope.  Great  was  their  surprise  on  seeing  me 
at  large;  and  I  thought  the  mate  looked  a  little  disap- 
pointed, though  he  comprehended  the  matter  at  once  as  soon 
as  he  saw  Drewett. 

"  If  you  had  only  waited  till  night.  Miles,"  Marble  said, 
shaking  his  head  as  one  menaces,  "  Neb  and  I  would  have 
shown  that  bloody  jail  a  seaman's  fashion  of  quitting  it. 
I'm  almost  sorry  the  occasion  is  lost,  for  it  would  have  done 
their  stomachs  good  to  wake  up  at  two  bells  and  find  their 
cage  empty.     I've  half  a  mind  to  ask  you  to  go  back,  boy !  " 

"  But  I've  no  mind  to  comply  with  the  request;  so  do  me 
the  favor  to  have  my  bag  carried  back  to  our  lodgings,  where 
I  intend  to  swing  my  hammock  again  to-night.  Mr.  Drewett, 
I  must  hasten  to  thank  her  to  whom  I  owe  my  freedom. 
Will  you  accompany  me?  " 

Andrew  excused  himself;  and  receiving  my  thanks,  once 
more  we  parted  with  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hands.  I  then 
hastened  toward  Wall  street  and  knocked  at  Lucy's  door 
(there  were  knockers  to  good  houses  in  New  York  in  1804, 
a  vile  nuisance,  having  15een  since  well  gotten  rid  of),  scarce 


424  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

conscious  of  the  manner  in  which  I  had  got  there.  It  was 
near  the  dinner-hour,  and  the  footman  was  demurring  about 
admitting  a  sailor-man,  who  hardly  knew  what  he  said,  when 
a  little  scream  from  Chloe,  who  happened  to  see  me,  soon 
disposed  of  my  claim  for  an  entrance. 

"Masser  Mile! — Masser  Mile! — I  so  grad — dat  feller, 
Neb,  say  you  come  home.  Oh!  Masser  Mile,  now  I  know 
dat  de  rascal  at  Clawbonny  get  druv'  off! " 

This  speech,  confident  as  it  was,  a  little  cooled  my  ardor 
by  reminding  me  I  was  a  beggar,  in  the  figurative  meaning 
of  the  word.  Chloe  led  the  way,  however,  and  I  was  soon 
in  the  drawing-room,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  youthful 
mistress  of  the  house.  How  gloriously  beautiful  did  Lucy 
then  appear!  She  had  dressed  for  dinner,  as  usual,  but  it 
was  in  the  simplest  and  neatest  manner.  Her  face  was 
radiant  with  the  pleasure  of  seeing  me  where  I  was,  and  ex- 
citement had  deepened  the  color  on  her  cheeks,  which  were 
never  pale,  except  with  emotions.  As  for  her  eyes,  I  can 
only  describe  t^em  by  the  homely  phrase  that  they  "  danced 
for  joy." 

"Now,  Miles,"  she  said,  holding  out  both  hands  to  meet 
me,  "/>^/j-  is  redeeming  your  pledge,  and  behaving  as  you 
should.  Andrew  Drewett  was  delighted  with  an  opportunity 
of  doing  something  for  the  man  who  saved  his  life,  and  my 
only  fear  was  of  your  obstinacy." 

"  After  all  I  have  heard  from  Andrew  Drewett,  beloved 
Lucy,  you  never  need  fear  anything  from  my  obstinacy  here- 
after. He  not  only  has  released  my  body  from  prison,  but 
he  has  released  my  spirits  from  the  weight  of  a  mountain  by 
honestly  confessing  you  do  not  love  him." 

The  play  of  roseate  light  on  an  autumnal  sky  at  evening 
is  not  more  beautiful  than  the  changing  tints  that  passed 
over  Lucy's  beautiful  face.  She  did  not  speak  at  first;  but 
so  intent,  so  inquiring  was  her  look,  while  at  the  same  time 
it  was  so  timid  and  modest,  that  I  scarce  needed  the  ques- 
tion that  she  finally  succeeded  in  asking. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  425 

"What  is  it  you  wish  to  say,  Miles?"  at  length  came 
from  her  in  faltering  tones. 

"To  ask  to  be  permitted  to  keep  these  hands  forever. 
Not  one,  Lucy;  one  will  not  satisfy  a  love  like  mine,  a  love 
that  has  got  to  be  interwoven  with  my  being,  from  having 
formed  a  part  of  my  very  existence  from  boyhood ;  yes,  I 
ask  for  bothr 

"  You  have  them  both,  dear,  deaf  Miles,  and  keep  them 
as  long  as  you  please." 

Even  while  this  was  in  the  course  of  utterance,  the  hands 
were  snatched  from  me  to  be  applied  to  their  owner's  face, 
and  the  dear  girl  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears.  I  folded  her 
in  my  arms,  seated  myself  at  her  side  on  a  sofa,  and  am  not 
ashamed  to  say  that  we  wept  together.  I  shall  not  reveal 
all  that  passed  during  the  next  quarter  of  an  hour,  nor  am  I 
quite  certain  that  I  could,  were  I  to  make  the  attempt,  but  I 
well  recollect  my  arm  was  around  Lucy's  slender  waist  at 
the  end  of  that  brief  period.  What  was  said  was  not  very 
coherent,  nor  do  I  know  that  anybody  would  care  to  hear,  or 
read  it. 

"Why  have  you  so  long  delayed  to  tell  me  this,  Miles?  " 
Lucy  at  length  inquired,  a  little  reproachfully.  "You  who 
have  had  so  many  opportunities,  and  might  have  known  how 
it  would  have  been  received !  How  much  misery  and  suffer- 
ing it  would  have  saved  us  both !  " 

"  For  that  which  it  has  caused  you,  dearest,  I  shall  never 
forgive  myself;  but  as  for  that  /  have  endured,  it  is  only 
too  well  merited.  But  I  thought  you  loved  Drewett;  every- 
body said  you  were  to  marry  him ;  even  your  own  father  be- 
lieved and  told  me  as  much." 

"  Poor,  dear  papa !  He  little  knew  my  heart.  One  thing, 
however,  he  did  that  would  have  prevented  my  ever  marry- 
ing any  one.  Miles,  so  long  as  you  lived." 

"  Heaven  forever  bless  him  for  that,  as  well  as  for  all  his 
other  good  deeds !     What  was  it,  Lucy  ?  " 

"  When  we  heard  of  the  supposed  loss  of  your  ship,  he 


426  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

believed  it,  but  I  did  not.  Why  I  did  not  believe  what  all 
around  me  thought  was  true  is  more  than  I  can  explain, 
unless  Providence  humanely  sustained  me  by  hope.  But 
when  my  father  thought  you  dead,  in  conversing  of  all 
your  good  qualities,  Miles— and  he  loved  you  almost  as  well 
as  his  daughter " 

"God  bless  him,  dear  old  gentleman!  but  what  did  he 
tell  you,  Lucy  ?  " 

"You  will  never  learn  if  you  thus  interrupt  me,  Miles," 
Lucy  answered,  smiling  saucily  in  my  face,  though  she  per- 
mitted me  still  to  hold  both  her  hands,  as  if  I  had  taken 
possession  of  them  literally  with  an  intent  to  keep  them, 
blushing  at  the  same  time  as  much  with  happiness,  I 
thought,  as  with  the  innate  modesty  of  her  nature.  "  Have 
a  little  patience  and  I  will  tell  you.  When  my  father 
thought  you  dead,  he  told  me  the  manner  in  which  you  had 
confessed  to  him  the  preference  you  felt  for  me;  and  do 
you,  can  you  think,  after  I  was  thus  put  in  possession  of 
such  a  secret,  I  could  listen  to  Andrew  Drewett,  or  to  any 
one  else? " 

I  shall  not  reveal  what  followed  this  speech;  but  I  may 
say  that,  in  the  course  of  the  next  ten  minutes,  Lucy  mildly 
reproached  me  again  for  having  so  long  delayed  my  declar- 
ation. 

"I  know  you  so  well,  Miles,"  she  continued,  smiling — as 
for  blushing,  that  she  did  nearly  the  whole  of  the  remainder 
of  the  day — "  I  know  you  so  well.  Miles,  that  I  am  afraid  I 
should  have  made  the  declaration  myself  had  you  not  found 
your  tongue.  Silly  fellow!  how  could  you  suppose  I  would 
ever  love  any  but  you? — see  here!  " 

She  drew  the  locket  I  had  given  her  from  her  dress,  and 
placed  it  in  my  hands,  still  warm  from  lying  near  her  heart! 
I  had  no  choice  but  to  kiss  Lucy  again,  or  to  kiss  this 
locket,  and  I  did  both,  by  way  of  leaving  no  further  grounds 
for  self-reproach.  I  say,  kiss  her  again,  for  to  own  the 
truth,  I  had  already  done  so  many  times  in  that  interview. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  42/ 

At  length,  Chloe  put  her  head  in  at  the  door,  having 
taken  the  precaution  first  to  give  a  gentle  tap,  to  inquire  if 
dinner  should  be  served.  Lucy  dined  at  four,  and  it  was 
now  drawing  toward  five. 

"  Has  my  father  come  in?  "  demanded  the  young  mistress 
of  her  attendant. 

"  Not  yet,  Miss  Lucy,  but  he  nebber  t'ink  much  of  dinner, 
Miss  Lucy,  ma'am;  and  Masser  Mile  been  so  long  a  sailor, 
dat  I  t'ink  he  musf  be  hungry.  I  hear  dat  he  had  berry 
hard  time  dis  v'y'ge,  Miss  Lucy — too  hard  for  old  masser 
and  missus'  son !  " 

"  Ay,  you  have  seen  Neb,  if  the  truth  were  told,  Miss  Chloe," 
I  cried,  "and  he  has  been  charming  your  ear  with  Othello 
tales  of  his  risks  and  hardships  to  make  you  love  him." 

I  cannot  say  that  Chloe  actually  blushed,  or,  if  she  did, 
the  spectators  were  none  the  wiser  for  the  weakness.  But 
dark  as  was  the  skin  of  this  honest-hearted  girl,  she  had 
most  affectionate  feelings,  and  even  her  features  could  be- 
tray the  emotions  she  entertained. 

"  De  feller !  "  she  exclaimed,  "  What  Miss  Lucy  please 
order?     Shall  'e  cook  dish  up?  " 

"We  will  have  dinner,'^  Lucy  answered,  with  a  smile, 
Chloe's  eyes  dancing  with  a  sort  of  wild  delight.  "  Tell 
John  to  serve  it.  Mr.  Hardinge  will  be  home  soon  in  all 
probability.     We  shall  be  only  us  three  at  table." 

The  mentioning  of  the  table  caused  me  to  cast  an  eye  at 
my  dress,  and  the  sight  of  my  mate's  attire,  neat,  and  in  truth, 
becoming  as  it  was,  to  one  who  had  no  reason  to  be  ashamed 
of  his  figure,  caused  me  to  recollect  my  poverty,  and  to  feel 
one  twinge  at  the  distance  that  the  world  might  fancy  its 
own  opinions  placed  between  us.  As  for  birth,  my  own 
family  was  too  respectable,  and  my  education  had  been  too 
good,  to  leave  me  now  any  very  keen  regrets  on  such  a  subject 
in  a  state  of  society  like  ours,  but  there  was  truly  a  wide  chasm 
between  the  heiress  of  Mrs.  Bradfort  and  a  penniless  mate 
of   a  ship.     Lucy  understood   me,   and   slipping  her  arm 


428  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

through  mine,  she  walked  into  the  library,  saying  archly,  as 
she  drew  me  gently  along : 

"  It  is  a  very  easy  thing,  Miles,  to  get  skirts  made  to  your 
round-about." 

"  No  doubt,  Lucy ;  but  with  whose  money  ?  I  have  been 
in  such  a  tumult  of  happiness  as  to  have  forgotten  that  I  am 
a  beggar;  that  I  am  not  a  suitable  match  for  you!  Had  I 
only  Clawbonny  I  should  feel  less  humiliated.  With  Claw- 
bonny  I  could  feel  myself  entitled  to  some  portion  of  the 
world's  consideration." 

We  were  in  the  library  by  this  time.  Lucy  looked  at  me 
a  moment  intently,  and  I  could  see  she  was  pained  at  my 
allusion.  Taking  a  little  key  from  a  cabinet  where  she 
kept  it,  she  opened  a  small  drawer  and  showed  me  the  iden- 
tical gold  pieces  that  had  once  been  in  my  possession,  and 
which  I  had  returned  to  her  after  my  first  voyage  to  sea.  I 
perceived  that  the  pearls  she  had  obtained  under  Grace's 
bequest,  as  well  as  those  which  were  my  own  property,  if  I 
could  be  said  to  own  anything,  were  kept  in  the  same  place. 
Holding  the  gold  in  the  palm  of  a  little  hand  that  was  as 
soft  as  velvet  and  as  white  as  ivory,  she  said : 

"You  once  took  all  I  had,  Miles,  and  this  without  pre- 
tending to  more  than  a  brother's  love,  why  should  you  hesi- 
tate to  do  it  again,  now  you  say  you  wish  to  become  my 
husband?  " 

"Precious  creature!  I  believe  you  will  cure  me  of  even 
my  silly  pride."  Then  taking  up  the  pearls,  I  threw  them 
on  her  neck,  where  they  hung  in  a  long  chain,  rivalling  the 
skin  with  which  they  came  in  contact.  "  There,  I  have  said 
these  pearls  should  be  an  offering  to  my  wife,  and  I  now 
make  it ;  though  I  scarce  know  how  they  are  to  be  kept  from 
the  grasp  of  Daggett." 

Lucy  kissed  the  pearls — I  knew  she  did  not  do  it  on  ac- 
count of  any  love  for  them — and  tears  came  into  her  eyes. 
I  believe  she  had  long  waited  to  receive  this  gift,  in  the 
precise  character  in  which  it  was  now  receievd. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  429 

"  Thank  you,  dear  Miles,"  she  said.  "  You  see  how  freely 
I  accept  your  gifts,  and  why  should  you  hesitate  to  receive 
mine  ?  As  for  this  Mr.  Daggett,  it  will  be  easy  enough  to 
get  rid  of  his  claim.  I  shall  be  of  age  before  he  can  bring 
his  cause  to  trial,  as  I  learn,  then  nothing  will  be  easier 
than  for  Miles  Wallingford  to  pay  all  his  debts,  for  by 
that  time  all  that  is  now  mine  will  be  yours.  No,  no, 
this  Mr.  Daggett  shall  not  easily  rob  me  of  this  precious 
gift." 

"  Rupert " — I  said,  by  way  of  getting  her  answer. 

"Rupert  will  not  influence  my  conduct  any  further  than  I 
shall  insist  on  returning  every  dollar  he  has  received  from 
you  in  the  name  of  our  sainted  Grace.  But  I  hear  my 
father's  voice,  and  speaking  to  some  other  person.  I  had 
hoped  we  should  dine  alone !  " 

The  door  of  the  library  opened,  and  Mr.  Hardinge  en- 
tered, followed  by  a  grave-looking,  elderly  man,  of  respec- 
table mien,  and  a  manner  that  denoted  one  accustomed  to 
deal  with  matters  of  weight.  I  knew  this  person  at  once  to 
be  Richard  Harrison,  then  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
lawyers  of  America,  and  the  gentleman  to  whom  I  had  been 
carried  by  John  Wallingford,  when  the  latter  pressed  me  to 
make  my  will.  Mr.  Harrison  shook  me  cordially  by  the 
hand,  after  saluting  Lucy,  whom  he  knew  intimately.  I 
saw  at  once  that  something  unusual  was  working  in  his 
mind.  This  highly  respectable  advocate  was  a  man  of 
method  and  of  great  coolness  of  manner  in  the  management 
of  affairs,  and  he  proceeded  to  business  at  once,  using  very 
little  circumlocution. 

"  I  have  been  surprised  to  hear  that  my  worthy  client  and 
friend,  Mr.  John  Wallingford,  is  dead,"  he  observed.  "I 
do  not  know  how  his  decease  should  have  escaped  my  notice 
in  the  papers,  unless  it  were  owing  to  a  pretty  severe  illness 
I  suffered  myself  about  the  time  it  occurred.  My  good 
friend,  Mr.  Hardinge,  told  jt  to  me,  for  the  first  time,  only 
half  an  hour  since." 


430  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"  It  is  true,  sir,"  I  answered.  "  I  understand  my  kinsman 
died  eight  months  since." 

"  And  he  held  your  bond  for  forty  thousand  dollars  at  the 
time  he  died? " 

"  I  regret  to  say  he  did ;  a  bond  secured  by  a  mortgage 
on  my  paternal  place,  Clawbonny,  which  has  since  been 
sold,  by  virtue  of  the  power  contained  in  the  clauses,  under 
the  statute,  and  sold  for  a  song;  less  than  a  fourth  of  its 
value." 

"  And  you  have  been  arrested,  at  the  suit  of  the  adminis- 
trator, for  the  balance  due  on  the  bond? " 

"I  have,  sir;  and  am  liberated  on  general  bail  only  within 
an  hour  or  two." 

"  Well,  sir,  all  these  proceedings  can  be,  and  must  be  set 
aside.  I  have  already  given  instructions  to  prepare  an  ap- 
plication to  the  chancellor  for  an  injunction,  and,  unless 
your  kinsman's  administrator  is  a  great  dunce,  you  will  be 
in  peaceable  possession  of  Clawbonny  again  in  less  than  a 
month — if  a  moderately  sensible  man,  in  less  than  twenty- 
four  hours." 

"  You  would  not  raise  hopes  that  are  idle,  Mr.  Harrison ; 
yet  I  do  not  understand  how  all  this  well  can  be !  " 

"Your  kinsman,  Mr.  John  Wallingford,  who  was  a  much 
esteemed  client  of  mine,  made  a  will,  which  will  I  drew 
myself,  and  which  will  being  left  in  my  possesison  for  that 
purpose,  I  now  put  in  your  hands  as  his  sole  executor.  By 
that  will,  you  will  perceive  that  he  especially  forgives  you 
the  debt  of  forty  thousand  dollars,  and  releases  the  claim 
under  the  mortgage.  But  this  is  not  all.  After  giving  some 
small  legacies  to  a  few  of  his  female  relatives,  he  has  left 
you  the  residuary  legatee,  and  I  know  enough  of  his  affairs 
to  be  certain  that  you  will  receive  an  addition  to  your  estate 
of  more  than  two  hundred  thousand  dollars.  John  Walling- 
ford was  a  character,  but  he  was  a  money-making  character; 
had  he  lived  twenty  years  longer,  he  would  have  been  one 
of  the  richest  men  in  the  state.     He  had  laid  an  excellent 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  43 1 

foundation,  but  he  died  too  soon  to  rear  the  golden 
structure." 

What  a  change  of  circumstances  was  here!  I  was  not 
only  virtually  released  from  debt,  but  had  Clawbonny  re- 
stored to  me,  and  was  master  of  all  I  had  ever  owned,  my 
earnings  and  the  money  invested  in  the  Dawn  excepted. 
This  last  was  irretrievably  gone,  it  was  true,  but  in  its  place 
I  had  the  ample  legacy  of  John  Wallingford  as  a  compensa- 
tion. This  legacy  consisted  of  a  large  sum  in  the  three  per 
cents.,  which  then  sold  at  about  sixty,  but  were  subsequently 
paid  off  at  par,  of  good  bank  and  insurance  stocks,  bonds 
and  mortgages,  and  a  valuable  and  productive  real  property 
in  the  western  part  of  the  state,  with  several  buildings  in 
town.  In  a  word,  I  was  even  richer  than  Lucy,  and  no 
longer  need  consider  myself  as  one  living  on  her  generosity. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  believe  I  was  made  supremely  happy 
by  this  news,  and  I  looked  to  Lucy  for  sympathy.  As  for 
the  dear  girl  herself,  I  do  believe  she  felt  anything  but 
pleasure  at  this  new  accession  of  riches;  for  she  had  a  deep 
satisfaction  in  thinking  that  it  was  in  her  power  to  prove  to 
me  how  completely  I  possessed  her  confidence,  by  placing 
all  she  had  in  my  hands.  Nevertheless,  she  loved  Claw- 
bonny as  well  as  I  did  myself,  and  my  restoration  to  the 
throne  of  my  fathers  was  a  subject  of  mutual  delight. 

Mr.  Harrison  went  on  to  say  that  he  had  ascertained 
Daggett  was  in  town  to  conduct  the  expected  arrangement 
with  me,  on  the  subject  of  my  personals,  and  that  he  had 
already  sent  a  message  to  his  attorney,  to  let  the  existence 
of  the  will  be  known.  He  had,  consequently,  strong  hopes 
of  arranging  matters  in  the  course  of  the  next  twenty-four 
hours.  We  were  still  at  table,  in  effect,  when  the  messenger 
came  to  let  us  know  an  interview  was  appointed  at  the 
office  of  this  eminent  counsel,  and  we  all  adjourned  to  that 
place,  Lucy  excepted,  as  soon  as  the  cloth  was  removed,  for 
in  that  day  cloths  were  always  removed.  At  the  office  we 
found  Mr.  Daggett,  whfem  I  now  saw  for  the  first  time,  and 


432  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

his  legal  adviser,  already  waiting  for  us.  One  glance  suf- 
ficed to  let  us  into  the  secret  of  the  consternation  both  were 
in,  for  the  lawyer  had  committed  himself  in  the  course  of 
the  proceedings  he  had  had  an  agency  in  conducting,  almost 
as  much  as  his  client. 

"  This  is  strange  news  to  us,  Mr.  Harrison,"  the  attorney 
commenced ;  "  though  your  character  and  reputation,  I  will 
confess,  make  it  look  serious.  Is  there  no  mistake  in  the 
matter,  sir?  " 

"  None  whatever,  Mr.  Meekly.  If  you  will  have  the  good- 
ness to  read  this  will,  sir,  you  will  perceive  that  the  facts 
have  been  truly  laid  before  your  client;  and,  as  to  the  au- 
thenticity of  the  document,  I  can  only  say,  it  was  not  only 
drawn  up  by  myself,  under  precise  instructions  from  Mr. 
Wallingford,  which  instructions  I  still  possess,  in  his  own 
handwriting,  but  the  will  was  copied  by  my  client,  as  well 
as  signed  and  sealed  in  my  presence,  as  one  of  the  witnesses. 
So  far  as  relates  to  the  personals,  this  will  would  be  valid, 
though  not  signed  by  the  testator,  supposing  no  other  will 
to  exist.  But,  I  flatter  myself,  you  will  find  everything  cor- 
rect as  to  forms." 

Mr.  Meekly  read  the  will  aloud,  from  beginning  to  end, 
and,  in  returning  it  to  me,  he  cast  a  very  give-it-up-sort  of 
look  at  Daggett.     The  latter  inquired,  with  some  anxiety: 

"  Is  there  any  schedule  of  the  property  accompanying  the 
will?" 

*'  There  is,  sir,"  returned  Mr.  Harrison ;  "  and  directions 
on  it  where  to  find  the  certificates  of  stock,  and  all  the  other 
evidences  of  debts — such  as  bonds  and  mortgages.  Of  the 
last,  several  are  in  my  own  possession.  I  presume  the  bond 
of  this  Mr.  Wallingford  was  kept  by  the  testator  himself,  as 
a  sort  of  a  family  thing." 

"  Well,  sir,  you  will  find  that  none  of  the  stock  has  been 
touched ;  and  I  confess  this  bond,  with  a  few  notes  given  in 
Genessee,  is  all  that  I  have  been  able  to  find.  We  have 
been  surprised  at  discovering  the  assets  to  be  so  small." 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  433 

"So  much  the  better  for  you,  Mr.  Daggett.  Knowing 
what  I  do,  I  shall  only  give  up  the  assets  I  hold  to  the  ex- 
ecutor and  heir.  Your  letters  of  administration  will  be  set 
aside,  as  a  matter  of  course,  even  should  you  presume  to 
oppose  us,  which  I  should  hardly  think  advisable." 

"We  shall  not  attempt  it,  Mr.  Harrison,"  Meekly  said, 
hastily;  "and  we  expect  equal  liberality  from  your  client." 

So  much  for  having  a  first-rate  lawyer  and  a  man  of  char- 
acter on  my  side.  Daggett  gave  the  whole  thing  up  on  the 
spot — reconveying  to  me  Clawbonny  before  he  quitted, 
though  the  sale  would  unquestionably  be  set  aside,  and  sub- 
sequently was  set  aside,  by  means  of  an  amicable  suit.  A 
great  deal  remained  to  be  done,  however ;  and  I  was  obliged 
to  tear  myself  away  from  Lucy  in  order  to  do  it.  Probate 
of  the  will  was  to  be  made  in  the  distant  county  of  Genessee 
— and  distant  it  was  from  New  York  in  1804!  The  journey 
that  could  be  made  to-day  in  about  thirty  hours  took  me  ten 
days;  and  I  spent  near  a  month  in  going  through  the  neces- 
sary forms,  and  in  otherwise  settling  my  affairs  at  the  west, 
as  that  part  of  the  state  was  then  called.  The  time,  how- 
ever, was  not  wasted  below.  Mr.  Hardinge  took  charge  of 
everything  at  Clawbonny,  and  Lucy's  welcome  letters — three 
of  which  reached  me  weekly — informed  me  that  everything 
was  re-established  in  the  house,  on  the  farm,  and  at  the 
mill.  The  Wallingford  was  set  running  again,  and  all  the 
oxen,  cows,  horses,  hogs,  etc.,  etc.,  were  living  in  their  old 
haunts.  The  negroes  were  reinstated,  and  Clawbonny  was 
itself  again!  The  only  changes  made  were  for  the  better; 
the  occasion  having  been  improved,  to  paint  and  new-vamp 
the  house,  which  Mr.  Daggett's  parsimony  had  prevented 
him  from  defacing  by  modern  alterations.  In  a  word, 
"  Masser  Mile  "  was  alone  wanting  to  make  all  at  the  farm 
happy.  Chloe  had  communicated  her  engagement  to  "  Miss 
Lucy,"  and  it  was  understood  Neb  and  his  master  were  to  be 
married  about  the  same  time.  As  for  Moses,  he  had  gone 
up  to  Willow  Cove  on  a  leave  of  absence.  A  letter  received 
28 


434  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

from  him,  which  now  lies  before  me,  will  give  a  better  ac- 
count of  his  proceedings  and  feelings  than  I  can  write  my- 
self.    It  was  in  the  following  words,  viz. : 

"  Willow  Cove,  September  18/-^,  1804. 
"Captain  Wallingford: 

"  Dear  sir,  and  my  dear  Miles — Here  I  have  been  moored, 
head  and  starn,  these  ten  days,  as  comfortable  as  heart  could 
wish,  in  the  bosom  of  my  family.  The  old  woman  was  right 
down  glad  to  see  me,  and  she  cried  like  an  alligator  when 
she  heard  my  story.  As  for  Kitty,  she  cried,  and  she 
laughed  in  the  bargain;  but  that  young  Bright,  whom  you 
may  remember  we  fell  in  with  in  our  cruise  after  old  Van 
Tassel,  has  fairly  hauled  alongside  of  my  niece,  and  she 
does  little  but  laugh  from  morning  to  night.  It's  bloody 
hard  to  lose  a  niece  in  this  way  just  as  a  man  finds  her,  but 
mother  says  I  shall  gain  a  nephew  by  the  trade. 

"Now,  for  old  Van  Tassel.  The  Lord  will  never  suffer 
rogues  to  prosper  in  the  long  run.  Mother  found  the  old 
rascal's  receipt,  given  to  my  father  for  the  money,  years  and 
years  ago,  and  sending  for  a  Hudson  lawyer,  they  made  the 
miserly  cheat  off  with  his  hatches  and  hoist  out  cargo 
enough  to  square  the  yards.  So  mother  considers  the  thing 
as  settled  at  last;  but  I  shall  always  regard  the  account  as 
open  until  I  have  threshed  the  gentleman  to  my  heart's  con- 
tent. The  old  woman  got  the  cash  in  hard  dollars,  not 
understanding  paper,  and  I  wasn't  in  the  house  ten  minutes 
before  the  good  old  soul  roused  a  stocking  out  of  a  drawer, 
and  began  to  count  out  the  pieces  to  pay  me  off.  So  you 
see.  Miles,  I've  stepped  into  my  estate  again,  as  well  as 
yourself.  As  for  your  offer  to  pay  me  wages  for  the  whole 
of  last  v'y'ge  " — this  word  Marble  could  only  spell  as  he 
pronounced  it — "  it's  generous,  and  that's  a  good  deal  in 
these  bloody  dishonest  times,  but  I'll  not  touch  a  copper. 
When  a  ship's  lost,  the  wages  are  lost  with  her,  and  that's 
law  and  reason.     It  would  be  hard  on  a  marchant  to  have 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  435 

to  pay  wages  for  work  done  on  board  a  craft  that's  at  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean ;  so  no  more  on  that  p'int,  which  we'll 
consider  settled. 

"  I  am  delighted  to  learn  you  are  to  be  married  as  soon  as 
you  get  back  to  Clawbonny.  Was  I  in  your  place,  and  saw 
such  a  nice  young  woman  beckoning  me  into  port,  I'd  not 
be  long  in  the  offing.  Thank  you,  heartily,  for  the  invita- 
tion to  be  one  of  the  bride's-maids,  which  is  an  office,  my 
dear  Miles,  I  covet,  and  shall  glory  in.  I  wish  you  to  drop 
me  a  line  as  to  the  rigging  proper  for  the  occasion,  for  I 
would  wish  to  be  dressed  as  much  like  the  rest  of  the 
bride's-maids  as  possible;  uniformity  being  always  desir- 
able in  such  matters.  A  wedding  is  a  wedding,  and  should 
be  dealt  with  as  a  wedding ;  so,  waiting  for  further  orders,  I 
remain  your  friend  and  old  shipmate  to  command, 

"  Moses  Van  Duzer  Marble." 

I  do  not  affirm  that  the  spelling  of  this  letter  was  quite  as 
accurate  as  that  given  in  this  copy,  but  the  epistle  was  legi- 
ble, and  evidently  gave  Marble  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  As 
for  the  letters  of  dear  Lucy,  I  forbear  to  copy  any.  They 
were  like  herself,  however;  ingenuous,  truthful,  affectionate, 
and  feminine.  Among  other  things,  she  informed  me  that 
our  union  was  to  take  place  in  St.  Michael's;  that  I  was  to 
meet  her  at  the  rectory,  and  that  we  might  proceed  to  Claw- 
bonny from  the  church  door.  She  had  invited  Rupert  and 
Emily  to  be  present,  but  the  health  of  the  last  would  pre- 
vent their  accepting  the  invitation.  Major,  or  General  Mer- 
ton,  as  he  was  universally  called  in  New  York,  had  the  gout, 
and  could  not  be  there ;  and  I  was  asked  if  it  would  not  be 
advisable,  under  all  the  circumstances,  to  have  the  affair  as 
private  as  possible.  My  answer  conveyed  a  cheerful  compli- 
ance, and  a  week  after  that  was  dispatched  I  left  the  Genes- 
see  country,  having  successfully  completed  all  my  business. 
No  one  opposed  me,  and  so  far  from  being  regarded  as  an 
intruder,  the  world  thought  me  the  proper  heir  of  my  cousin. 


43^  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

I  calmed  her  fears,  and  she  was  calm, 
And  told  her  love  with  virgin  pride  ; 

And  so  I  won  my  Genevieve, 
My  bright  and  beauteous  bride. 


COLKKIDGB. 


By  arrangement,  I  stopped  at  the  Willow  Cove  to  pick  up 
Marble.  I  found  the  honest  fellow  happy  as  the  day  was 
long;  but  telling  fearfully  long  and  wonderful  yarns  of  his 
adventures  to  the  whole  country  round.  My  old  mate  was 
substantially  a  man  of  truth ;  but  he  did  love  to  astonish 
"  know-nothings."  He  appears  to  have  succeeded  surpris- 
ingly well,  for  the  Dutchmen  of  that  neighborhood  still  re- 
count anecdotes  of  the  achievements  and  sufferings  of  Cap- 
tain Marvel,  as  they  usually  call  him,  though  they  have  long 
ceased  to  think  the  country  belongs  to  the  United  Provinces. 
Moses  was  glad  to  see  me;  and  after  passing  a  night  in 
the  cottage  of  his  mother,  we  proceeded  toward  Clawbonny 
in  a  conveyance  that  had  been  sent  to  Willow  Cove  to  meet 
me.  It  was  a  carriage  of  my  own,  one  of  my  negroes  acting 
as  driver.  I  knew  the  old  team,  and  will  acknowledge  that 
tears  forced  themselves  to  my  eyes  as  I  thus  saw  myself,  as 
it  might  be,  reinstated  in  my  own.  The  same  feeling  came 
powerfully  over  me  as  we  drove  to  the  summit  of  an  eleva- 
tion in  the  road  that  commanded  a  view  of  the  vale  and 
buildings  of  Clawbonny.  What  a  moment  was  that  in  my 
existence!  I  cannot  say  that  I  was  born  to  wealth,  even  as 
wealth  was  counted  among  us  sixty  years  since,  but  I  was 
born  to  a  competency.  Until  I  lost  my  ship,  I  had  never 
known  the  humiliating  sensations  of  poverty;  and  the  feel- 
ing that  passed  over  my  heart  when  I  first  heard  that  Claw- 
bonny was  sold,  has  left  an  impression  that  will  last  for  life. 
I  looked  at  the  houses,  as  I  passed  them  in  the  streets,  and 
remembered  that  I  was  houseless.  I  did  not  pass  a  shop 
in  which  clothes  were  exposed  without  remembering  that, 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  437 

were  my  debts  paid,  I  should  literally  be  without  a  coat  to 
my  back.  Now,  I  had  my  own  once  more ;  and  there  stood 
the  home  of  my  ancestors  for  generations,  looking  com- 
fortable and  respectable,  in  the  midst  of  a  most  inviting 
scene  of  rural  quiet  and  loveliness.  The  very  fields  seemed 
to  welcome  me  beneath  its  roof !  There  is  no  use  in  at- 
tempting to  conceal  what  happened;  and  I  will  honestly 
relate  it. 

The  road  made  a  considerable  circuit  to  descend  the  hill, 
while  a  footpath  led  down  the  declivity,  by  a  shorter  cut, 
which  was  always  taken  by  pedestrians.  Making  an  in- 
coherent excuse  to  Moses,  and  telling  him  to  wait  for  me  at 
the  foot  of  the  hill,  I  sprang  out  of  the  carriage,  leaped  a 
fence,  and  I  may  add,  leaped  out  of  sight,  in  order  to  con- 
ceal my  emotion.  I  was  no  sooner  lost  to  view  than,  seat- 
ing myself  on  a  fragment  of  rock,  I  wept  like  a  child. 
How  long  I  sat  there  is  more  than  I  can  say ;  but  the  man- 
ner in  which  I  was  recalled  from  this  paroxysm  of  feeling 
will  not  soon  be  forgotten.  A  little  hand  was  laid  on  my 
forehead,  and  a  soft  voice  uttered  the  word  "Miles!"  so 
near  me  that,  at  the  next  instant,  I  held  Lucy  in  my  arms. 
The  dear  girl  had  walked  to  the  hill,  as  she  afterward  ad- 
mitted, in  the  expectation  of  seeing  me  pass  on  to  Claw- 
bonny;  and  comprehending  my  feelings  and  my  behavior, 
could  not  deny  herself  the  exquisite  gratification  of  sharing 
in  my  emotions. 

"  It  is  a  blessed  restoration  to  your  rights,  dear  Miles," 
Lucy  at  length  said,  smiling  through  her  tears.  "Your 
letters  have  told  me  that  you  are  rich ;  but  I  would  rather 
you  had  Clawbonny,  and  not  a  cent  besides,  than,  without 
this  place,  you  had  the  riches  of  the  wealthiest  man  in  the 
country.  Yours  it  should  have  been,  at  all  events,  could 
my  means  have  compassed  it." 

"  And  this,  Lucy,  without  my  becoming  your  husband,  do 
you  mean? " 

Lucy  blushed  brightly ;  though  I  cannot  say  the  sincere, 


43^  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

ingenuous  girl  ever  looked  embarrassed  in  avowing  her 
preference  for  me.  After  a  moment's  pause,  she  smiled, 
and  answered  my  question. 

"  I  have  not  doubted  of  the  result,  since  my  father  gave 
me  an  account  of  your  feelings  toward  me,"  she  said,  "  and 
that,  you  will  remember,  was  before  Mr.  Daggett  had  his 
sale.  Women  have  more  confidence  in  the  affections  than 
men,  I  fear ;  at  least,  with  us  they  are  more  engrossing  con- 
cerns than  with  you,  for  we  live  for  them  altogether,  whereas 
you  have  the  world  constantly  to  occupy  your  thoughts.  I 
have  never  supposed  Miles  Wallingford  would  become  the 
husband  of  any  but  Lucy  Hardinge,  except  on  one  occasion, 
and  then  only  for  a  very  short  period ;  and  ever  since  I  have 
thought  on  such  subjects  at  all,  I  have  known  that  Lucy 
Hardinge  would  never — could  never  be  the  wife  of  any  one 
but  Miles  Wallingford." 

"  And  that  one  exception,  dearest, — that  *  very  short 
period '  ?  Having  confessed  so  much,  I  am  eager  to  know 
all." 

Lucy  became  thoughtful,  and  she  moved  the  grass  at  her 
feet  with  the  end  of  her  parasol  ere  she  replied : 

"  The  one  exception  was  Emily  Merton ;  and  the  short 
period  terminated  when  I  saw  you  together  in  your  own 
house.  When  I  first  saw  Emily  Merton,  I  thought  her  more 
worthy  of  your  love  than  I  could  possibly  be;  and  I  fancied 
it  impossible  that  you  could  have  lived  so  long  in  a  ship 
together  without  discovering  each  other's  merits.  But, 
when  I  was  placed  with  you  both,  under  the  same  roof,  I 
soon  ascertained  that,  while  your  imagination  had  been  a 
little  led  aside,  your  heart  was  always  true  to  me." 

"Is  this  possible,  Lucy?  Are  women  really  so  much 
more  discriminating,  so  much  more  accurate  in  their  opin- 
ions, than  we  men?  While  I  was  ready  to  hang  myself  for 
jealousy  of  Andrew  Drewett,  did  you  really  know  that  my 
heart  was  entirely  yours?  " 

"I  was  not  without  misgivings,  Miles,  and  sometimes 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  439 

those  that  were  keenly  painful ;  but,  on  the  whole,  I  will 
not  say  I  felt  my  power,  but  that  I  felt  we  were  dear  to  each 
other." 

"  Did  you  never  suppose,  as  your  excellent  father  has  done, 
that  we  were  too  much  like  brother  and  sister  to  become 
lovers,  too  much  accustomed  to  be  dear  to  each  other  as 
children  to  submit  to  passion  ?  For  that  which  I  feel  for 
you,  Lucy,  I  do  not  pretend  to  dignify  with  the  name  of 
esteem,  and  respect,  and  affection — it  is  a  passion,  that  will 
form  the  misery  or  happiness  of  my  life." 

Lucy  smiled  archly,  and  again  the  end  of  her  parasol 
played  with  the  grass  that  grew  around  the  rock  on  which 
we  were  seated. 

"  How  could  I  think  this  for  you,"  she  said,  "  when  I  had 
a  contrary  experience  of  my  own  constantly  present,  Miles? 
I  saw  that  you  thought  there  was  some  difference  of  condi- 
tion between  us  (silly  fellow!),  and  I  felt  persuaded  you  had 
only  your  own  diffidence  to  overcome  to  tell  your  own  story." 

"  And  knowing  and  seeing  all  this,  cruel  Lucy,  why  did 
you  suffer  years  of  cruel,  cruel  doubt  to  hang  over  me?  " 

"Was  it  a  woman's  part  to  speak.  Miles?  I  endeavored 
to  act  naturally — believe  I  did  act  naturally — and  I  left  the 
rest  to  God.     Blessed  be  his  mercy,  I  am  rewarded !  " 

I  folded  Lucy  to  my  heart,  and,  passing  a  moment  of 
sweet  sympathy  in  the  embrace,  we  both  began  to  talk  of 
other  things  as  if  mutually  conscious  that  our  feelings  were 
too  high-wrought  for  the  place  in  which  we  were.  I  in- 
quired as  to  the  condition  of  things  at  Clawbonny,  and 
was  gratified  with  the  report.  Everybody  expected  me. 
I  had  no  tenantry  to  come  forth  to  meet  me — nor  were 
American  tenants  much  addicted  to  such  practices,  even 
when  they  were  to  be  found;  though  the  miserable  sophistry 
on  the  subject  of  landlord  and  tenant — one  of  the  most  use- 
ful and  humanizing  relations  of  civilized  life — did  not  then 
exist  among  us,  that  I  am  sorry  to  find  is  now  getting  into 
vogue.     In  that  day  it  waf  not  thought  "  liberty  "  to  violate 


440  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

the  fair  covenants  of  a  lease;  and  attempts  to  cheat  a  landed 
proprietor  out  of  his  rights  were  called  cheating,  as  they 
ought  to  be — and  they  were  called  nothing  else. 

In  that  day,  a  lease  in  perpetuity  was  thought  a  more  ad- 
vantageous bargain  for  the  tenant,  than  a  lease  for  a  year, 
or  a  term  of  years;  and  men  did  not  begin  to  reason  as  if 
one  indulgence  gave  birth  to  a  right  to  demand  more.  In 
that  day,  paying  rent  in  chickens,  and  wood,  and  work  was 
not  fancied  to  be  a  remnant  of  feudality,  but  it  was  regarded 
as  a  favor  conferred  on  him  who  had  the  privilege;  and 
even  now,  nine  countrymen  in  ten  endeavor  to  pay  their 
debts  in  everything  they  can  before  they  resort  to  the  purse. 
In  that  day,  the  audacious  sophism  of  calling  land  a  mon- 
opoly, in  a  country  that  probably  possesses  more  than  a 
hundred  acres  for  every  living  soul  within  its  limits,  was 
not  broached ;  and,  in  that  day,  knots  of  men  did  not  set 
themselves  up  as  special  representatives  of  the  whole  com- 
munity, and  interpret  the  laws  in  their  own  favor,  as  if  they 
were  the  first  principles  of  the  entire  republic.  But  my  pen 
is  running  away  with  me,  and  I  must  return  to  Lucy.  A 
crisis  is  at  hand;  and  we  are  about  to  see  the  laws  trium- 
phant, or  acts  of  aggression  that  will  far  outdo  all  that  has 
hitherto  rested  on  the  American  name,  as  connected  with  a 
want  of  faith  in  pecuniary  transactions. 

Should  I  ever  continue  these  adventures,  occasions  may 
offer  to  draw  certain  pictures  of  the  signs  of  the  times; 
signs  that  have  an  ominous  aspect  as  regards  real  liberty, 
by  substituting  the  most  fearful  of  all  tyrannies,  the  spu- 
rious, in  its  place.  God  alone  knows  for  what  we  are  re- 
served; but  one  thing  is  certain — there  must  be  a  serious 
movement  backward,  or  the  nation  is  lost. 

I  had  no  tenantry  to  come  out  and  meet  me;  but  there 
were  the  blacks.  It  is  true,  the  law  was  on  the  point  of 
liberating  these  slaves,  leaving  a  few  of  the  younger  to 
serve  for  a  term  of  years,  that  should  requite  their  owners 
for  the  care  of  their  infancies  and  their  educations;  but  this 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  44 1 

law  could  not  effect  an  immediate  change  in  the  condition 
of  the  Clawbonnys.  The  old  ones  did  not  wish  to  quit  me, 
and  never  did;  while  it  took  years  to  loosen  the  tie  which 
bound  the  younger  portion  of  them  to  me  and  mine.  At 
this  hour,  near  twenty  of  them  are  living  round  me  in  cot- 
tages of  mine;  and  the  service  of  my  kitchen  is  entirely 
conducted  by  them.  Lucy  prepared  me  for  a  reception  by 
these  children  of  Africa,  even  the  outcasts  having  united 
with  the  rest  to  do  honor  to  their  young  master.  Honor  is 
not  the  word ;  there  was  too  much  heart  in  the  affair  for  so 
cold  a  term ;  the  negro,  whatever  may  be  his  faults,  almost 
always  possessing  an  affectionate  heart. 

At  length  I  remembered  Marble,  and,  taking  leave  of 
Lucy,  who  would  not  let  me  accompany  her  home,  I  threw 
myself  down  the  path,  and  found  my  mate  cogitating  in  the 
carriage,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

"Well,  Miles,  you  seem  to  value  this  land  of  yours  as  a 
seaman  does  his  ship,"  cried  Moses,  before  I  had  time  to 
apologize  for  having  kept  him  so  long  waiting.  "  How- 
somever,  I  can  enter  into  the  feelin',  and  a  blessed  one  it 
is,  to  get  a  respondentia  bond  off  of  land  that  belonged  to  a 
fellow's  grandfather.  Next  thing  to  being  a  bloody  hermit, 
I  hold,  is  to  belong  to  nobody  in  a  crowded  world;  and  I 
would  not  part  with  one  kiss  from  little  Kitty,  or  one 
wrinkle  of  my  mother's,  for  all  the  desert  islands  in  the 
ocean.  Come,  sit  down  now,  my  lad — why,  you  look  as  red 
as  a  rosebud,  and  as  if  you  had  been  running  up  and  down 
hill  the  whole  time  you've  been  absent." 

"It  is  sharp  work  to  come  down  such  a  hill  as  this  on  a 
trot.  Well,  here  I  am  at  your  side ;  what  would  you  wish 
to  know  ? " 

"Why,  lad,  I've  been  thinkin'  since  you  were  away  of  the 
duties  of  a  bride's-maid  " — to  his  dying  day,  Moses  always 
insisted  he  had  acted  in  this  capacity  at  my  wedding — "for 
the  time  draws  near,  and  I  wouldn't  wish  to  discredit  you, 
on  such  a  festivity.     In  the  first  place,  how  am  I  to  be 


442  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

dressed  ?  I've  got  the  posy  you  mentioned  in  your  letter, 
stowed  away  safe  in  my  trunk.  Kitty  made  it  for  me  last 
week,  and  a  good-looking  posy  it  was  the  last  time  I  saw  it." 

"  Did  you  think  of  the  breeches?  " 

"  Ay,  ay — I  have  them,  too,  and  what  is  more,  I've  had 
them  bent.  Somehow  or  other,  Miles,  running  under  bare 
poles  does  not  seem  to  agree  with  my  build.  If  there's 
time,  I  should  like  to  have  a  couple  of  bonnets  fitted  to  the 
articles." 

"  Those  would  be  gaiters,  Moses,  and  I  never  heard  of  a 
bride's-maid  in  breeches  and  gaiters.  No,  you'll  be  obliged 
to  come  out  like  everybody  else." 

"  Well,  I  care  less  for  the  dress  than  I  do  for  the  behavior. 
Shall  I  be  obliged  to  kiss  Lucy?  " 

"  No,  not  exactly  Miss  Lucy,  but  Mrs.  Bride — I  believe 
it  would  not  be  a  lawful  marriage  without  that." 

"  Heaven  forbid  that  I  should  lay  a  straw  in  the  way  of 
your  happiness,  my  dear  boy;  but  you'll  make  a  signal  for 
the  proper  time  to  clear  ship,  then — you  know  I  always 
carry  a  quid." 

I  promised  not  to  desert  him  in  his  need,  and  Moses  be- 
came materially  easier  in  his  mind.  I  do  not  wish  the 
reader  to  suppose  my  mate  fancied  he  was  to  act  in  the 
character  of  a  woman  at  my  nuptials,  but  simply  that  he 
was  to  act  in  the  character  of  a  bride's-maid.  The  difficul- 
ties which  beset  him  will  be  best  explained  by  his  last  re- 
mark on  this  occasion,  and  with  which  I  shall  close  this  dis- 
course. "  Had  I  been  brought  up  in  a  decent  family,"  he 
said,  "  instead  of  having  been  set  afloat  on  a  tombstone, 
matrimony  wouldn't  have  been  such  unknown  seas  to  me. 
But  you  know  how  it  is.  Miles,  with  a  fellow  that  has  no  re- 
lations. He  may  laugh,  and  sing,  and  make  as  much  noise 
as  he  pleases,  and  try  to  make  others  think  he's  in  good 
company  the  whole  time;  but,  after  all,  he's  nothing  but  a 
sort  of  bloody  hermit,  that's  travelling  through  life,  all  the 
same  as  if  he  was  left  with  a  few  pigs  on  a  desert  island. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  443 

Make-believe  is  much  made  use  of  in  this  world,  but  it 
won't  hold  out  to  the  last.  Now,  of  all  mortal  beings  that  I 
ever  met  with,  youVe  fallen  in  with  her  that  has  least  of  it. 
There's  some  make-believe  about  you,  Miles,  as  when  you 
looked  so  bloody  unconcerned  all  the  time  you  were  ready 
to  die  of  love,  as  I  now  I'arn,  for  the  young  woman  you're 
about  to  marry ;  and  mother  has  a  little  of  it,  dear  old  soul, 
when  she  says  she's  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  son  the  Lord 
has  given  her,  for  I'm  not  so  blasted  virtuous  but  I  might 
be  better;  and  little  Kitty  has  lots  of  it  when  she  pretends 
she  would  as  soon  have  one  kiss  from  me  as  two  from  young 
Bright;  but,  as  for  Lucy  Hardinge,  I  will  say  that  I  never 
saw  any  more  make-believe  about  her  than  was  becoming  in 
a  young  woman." 

This  speech  proved  that  Moses  was  a  man  of  observation. 
Others  might  have  drawn  seemingly  nicer  shades  of  char- 
acter, but  this  sincerity  of  feeling,  truth  of  conduct,  and 
singleness  of  purpose,  formed  the  distinguishing  traits  of 
Lucy's  virtues.  I  was  excessively  gratified  at  finding  that 
Marble  rightly  appreciated  one  who  was  so  very,  very  dear 
to  me,  and  took  care  to  let  him  know  as  much  as  soon  as  he 
had  made  his  speech. 

We  were  met  by  the  negroes  at  the  distance  of  half  a 
mile  from  the  house.  Neb  acted  as  master  of  the  cere- 
monies, or,  commodore  would  be  the  belter  word,  for  he 
actually  carried  a  bit  of  swallow-tail  bunting  that  was  bor- 
rowed from  the  sloop,  and  there  was  just  as  much  of  ocean 
in  the  symbols  used  as  comported  with  the  honors  mani- 
fested to  a  seaman.  Old  Cupid  carried  the  Wallingford  en- 
sign, and  a  sort  of  harlequinade  had  been  made  out  of  marlin- 
spikes,  serving  mallets,  sail-maker's  palms,  and  fids.  The 
whole  was  crowned  with  a  plug  of  tobacco,  though  I  never 
used  the  weed,  except  in  cigars.  Neb  had  seen  processions 
in  town,  as  well  as  in  foreign  countries,  and  he  took  care 
that  the  present  should  do  himself  no  discredit.  It  is  true, 
that  he  spoke  to  me  of  it  afterward,  as  a  "  nigger  proces- 


444  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

sion,"  and  affected  to  hold  it  cheap;  but  I  could  see  that 
the  fellow  was  as  much  pleased  with  the  conceits  he  had 
got  up  for  the  occasion  as  he  was  mortified  at  the  failure  of 
the  whole  thing.  The  failure  happened  in  this  wise:  no 
sooner  did  I  approach  near  enough  to  the  elder  blacks  to 
have  my  features  fairly  recognized  than  the  women  began 
to  blubber,  and  the  men  to  toss  their  arms  and  shout 
"  Masser  Mile,"  "  Masser  Mile " ;  thereby  throwing  every- 
thing into  confusion,  at  once  placing  feeling  uppermost  at 
the  expense  of  "  law  and  order." 

To  descend  from  the  stilts  that  seemed  indispensable  to 
do  credit  to  Neb's  imagination,  the  manner  in  which  I  was 
received  by  these  simple-minded  beings  was  infinitely  touch- 
ing. All  the  old  ones  shook  hands  with  me,  while  the 
younger  of  both  sexes  kept  more  aloof,  until  I  went  to  each 
in  succession,  and  went  through  the  ceremony  of  my  own 
accord.  As  for  the  boys,  they  rolled  over  on  the  grass, 
while  the  little  girls  kept  making  curtesies,  and  repeating 
"welcome  home  to  Clawbonny,  Masser  Mile."  My  heart 
was  full,  and  I  question  if  any  European  landlord  ever  got 
so  warm  a  reception  from  his  tenantry  as  I  received  from 
my  slaves. 

And  welcome  I  was  indeed  to  Clawbonny,  and  most  wel- 
come was  Clawbonny  to  me!  In  1804,  New  York  had  still 
some  New  York  feeling  left  in  the  state.  Strangers  had  not 
completely  overrun  her  as  has  since  happened;  and  New 
York  names  were  honored;  New  York  feelings  had  some 
place  among  us;  life,  homes,  firesides,  and  the  graves  of  our 
fathers,  not  yet  being  treated  as  so  many  incidents  in  some 
new  speculation.  Men  then  loved  the  paternal  roof;  and 
gardens,  lawns,  orchards,  and  churchyards  were  regarded  as 
something  other  than  levels  for  railroads  and  canals,  streets 
for  villages,  or  public  promenades  to  be  called  batteries  or 
parks,  as  might  happen  to  suit  aldermanic  ambition,  or  edi- 
torial privilege. 

Mr.  Hardinge  met  me  at  the  gate  of  the  little  lawn,  took 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  445 

me  in  his  arms,  and  blessed  me  aloud.  We  entered  the 
house  in  silence,  when  the  good  old  man  immediately  set 
about  showing  me,  by  ocular  proof,  that  everything  was  re- 
stored as  effectually  as  I  was  restored  myself.  Venus  ac- 
companied us,  relating  how  dirty  she  had  found  this  room, 
how  much  injured  that,  and  otherwise  abusing  the  Dfeggetts 
to  my  heart's  content.  Their  reign  had  been  short,  how- 
ever, and  a  Wallingford  was  once  more  master  of  the  five 
structures  of  Clawbonny,  I  meditated  a  sixth,  even  that 
day,  religiously  preserving  every  stone  that  had  been  already 
laid,  however,  in  my  mind's  intention. 

The  next  day  was  that  named  by  Lucy  as  the  one  in  which 
she  would  unite  herself  to  me  forever.  No  secret  was  made 
of  the  affair,  but  notice  had  been  duly  given,  that  all  at 
Clawbonny  might  be  present.  I  left  home  at  ten  in  the 
morning,  in  a  very  handsome  carriage  that  had  been  built 
for  the  occasion,  accompanied  by  Moses  attired  as  a  bride's- 
maid.  It  is  true,  his  dumpy  square-built  frame  rather  cari- 
catured the  shorts  and  silk  stockings,  and  as  we  sat  side  by 
side  in  this  guise,  I  saw  his  eyes  roaming  from  his  own 
limbs  to  mine.  The  peculiarity  of  Moses's  toilet  was  that 
which  all  may  observe  in  men  of  his  stamp  who  come  out 
in  full  dress.  The  clothes  a  good  deal  more  than  fit  them. 
Everything  is  as  tight  as  the  skin,  and  the  wearer  is  ordi- 
narily about  as  awkward  in  his  movements  and  sensations  as 
if  he  had  gone  into  society  in  puris  naturalihus.  That 
Moses  felt  the  embarrassment  of  this  novel  attire  was  suffi- 
ciently apparent  by  his  looks  and  movements,  to  say  nothing 
of  his  speech. 

"  Miles,  I  do  suppose,"  he  remarked  as  we  trotted  along, 
**  that  them  that  haven't  had  the  advantage  of  being  brought 
up  at  home  never  get  a  fair  growth.  Now,  here's  these  legs 
of  mine ;  there's  plenty  of  them,  but  they  ought  to  have  been 
put  in  a  stretcher  when  I  was  a  youngster,  instead  of  being 
left  to  run  about  a  hospital.  Well,  I'll  sail  under  bare  poles 
this  once,  to  oblige  yo!l,  bridemaid  fashion ;  but  this  is  the 


44^  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

first  and  last  time  I  do  such  a  thing.  Don't  forget  to  make 
the  signal  when  I'm  to  kiss  Miss  Lucy." 

My  thoughts  were  not  exactly  in  the  vein  to  enjoy  the 
embarrassment  of  Moses,  and  I  silenced  him  by  promising 
all  he  asked.  We  were  not  elegant  enough  to  meet  at  the 
church,  but  I  proceeded  at  once  to  the  little  rectory,  where 
I  found  the  good  divine  and  my  lovely  bride  had  just  com- 
pleted their  arrangements.  And  lovely  indeed  was  Lucy  in 
her  simple  but  beautiful  bridal  attire !  She  was  unattended, 
had  none  of  those  gay  appliances  about  her  that  her  condi- 
tion might  have  rendered  proper,  and  which  her  fortune 
would  so  easily  have  commanded.  Yet  it  was  impossible  to 
be  in  her  presence  without  feeling  the  influence  of  her  virgin 
mien  and  simple  elegance.  Her  dress  was  a  spotless  but 
exquisitely  fine  India  muslin,  well  made  and  accurately  fit- 
ting; and  her  dark  glossy  hair  was  embellished  only  by  one 
comb  ornamented  with  pearls,  and  wearing  the  usual  veil. 
As  for  her  feet  and  hands,  they  were  more  like  those  of  a 
fairy  than  of  one  human,  while  her  countenance  was  filled 
with  all  the  heartfelt  tenderness  of  her  honest  nature. 
Around  her  ivory  throat  and  over  her  polished  shoulders 
hung  my  own  necklace  of  pearls,  strung  as  they  had  been  on 
board  the  Crisis,  giving  her  bust  an  air  of  affluent  decora- 
tion, while  it  told  a  long  story  of  distant  adventure  and  of 
well-requited  affection. 

We  had  no  bride's-maids  (Marble  excepted),  no  groom's- 
men,  no  other  attendants  than  those  of  our  respective  house- 
holds. No  person  had  been  asked  to  be  present,  for  we  felt 
that  our  best  friends  were  with  us  when  we  had  these  de- 
pendents around  us.  At  one  time  I  had  thought  of  paying 
Drewett  the  compliment  of  desiring  him  to  be  a  groom's- 
man,  but  Lucy  set  the  project  at  rest  by  quaintly  asking  me 
how  I  should  like  to  have  been  his  attendant  with  the  same 
bride.  As  for  Rupert,  I  never  inquired  how  he  satisfied 
the  scruples  of  his  father,  though  the  old  gentleman  made 
many  apologies  to   me   for   his  absence.     I   was  heartily 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  447 

rejoiced,  indeed,  he  did  not  appear,  and  I  think  Lucy  was 
so  also. 

The  moment  I  appeared  in  the  little  drawing-room  of  the 
rectory,  which  Lucy's  money  and  taste  had  converted  into  a 
very  pretty  but  simple  room,  my  "bright  and  beauteous 
bride "  arose,  and  extended  to  me  her  long-loved  hand. 
The  act  itself,  natural  and  usual  as  it  was,  was  performed  in 
a  way  to  denote  the  frankness  and  tenderness  of  her  char- 
acter. Her  color  went  and  came  a  little,  but  she  said 
nothing.  Without  resuming  her  seat,  she  quietly  placed  an 
arm  in  mine,  and  turned  to  her  father,  as  much  as  to  say  we 
were  ready.  Mr.  Hardinge  led  the  way  to  the  church,  which 
was  but  a  step  from  the  rectory,  and,  in  a  minute  or  two,  all 
stood  ranged  before  the  altar,  with  the  divine  in  the  chancel. 
The  ceremony  commenced  immediately,  and  in  less  than 
five  minutes  I  folded  Lucy  in  my  arms  as  my  wife.  We  had 
gone  into  the  vestry-room  for  this  part  of  the  affair,  and 
there  it  was  that  we  received  the  congratulations  of  those 
humble,  dark-colored  beings,  who  then  formed  so  material  a 
portion  of  nearly  every  American  family  of  any  means. 

"I  wish  you  great  joy  and  ebbery  sort  of  happiness, 
Masser  Mile,"  said  old  Venus,  kissing  my  hand,  though  I 
insisted  it  should  be  my  face,  as  had  often  been  her  practice 
twenty  years  before.  "  Ah !  dis  was  a  blessed  day  to  old 
masser  and  missus,  could  dey  saw  it,  but.  And  I  won't 
speak  of  anoder  blessed  saint  dat  be  in  heaven.  And  you 
too,  my  dear  young  missus;  now,  we  all  so  grad  it  be  you^ 
for  we  did  t'ink,  at  one  time,  dat  would  nebber  come  to 
pass." 

Lucy  laid  her  own  little  white  velvet-like  hand,  with  the 
wedding  ring  on  its  fourth  finger,  into  the  middle  of  Venus's 
hard  and  horny  palm  in  the  sweetest  manner  possible ;  re- 
minding all  around  her  that  she  was  an  old  friend,  and  that 
she  knew  all  the  good  qualities  of  every  one  who  pressed 
forward  to  greet  her,  and  to  wish  her  happiness. 

As  soon  as  this  part  of  the  ceremony  was  over,  we  repaired 


44^  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

to  the  rectory,  where  Lucy  changed  her  wedding  robe  for 
what  I  fancied  was  one  of  the  prettiest  demi-toilette  dresses 
I  ever  saw.  I  know  I  am  now  speaking  like  an  old  fellow, 
whose  thoughts  revert  to  the  happier  scenes  of  youth  with  a 
species  of  dotage,  but  it  is  not  often  a  man  has  an  oppor- 
tunity of  portraying  such  a  bride  and  wife  as  Lucy  Hardinge. 
On  this  occasion  she  removed  the  comb  and  veil  as  not  har- 
monizing with  the  dress  in  which  she  reappeared,  but  the 
necklace  was  worn  throughout  the  whole  of  that  blessed  day. 
As  soon  as  my  bride  was  ready,  Mr.  Hardinge,  Lucy,  Moses, 
and  myself,  entered  the  carriage  and  drove  over  to  Claw- 
bonny.  Thither  all  Lucy's  wardrobe  had  been  sent,  an 
hour  before,  under  Chloe's  superintendence,  who  had  barely 
returned  to  the  church  in  time  to  witness  the  ceremony. 

One  of  the  most  precious  moments  of  my  life  was  that  in 
which  I  folded  Lucy  in  my  arms  and  welcomed  her  to  the 
old  place  as  its  mistress. 

"  We  came  very  near  losing  it,  love,"  I  whispered ;  "  but 
it  is  now  ours,  unitedly,  and  we  will  be  in  no  hurry  to  turn 
our  backs  on  it." 

This  was  in  a  t^te-k-tete  in  the  family  room,  whither  I 
had  led  Lucy,  feeling  that  this  little  ceremony  was  due  to 
my  wife.  Everything  around  us  recalled  former  scenes,  and 
tears  were  in  the  eyes  of  my  bride  as  she  gently  extricated 
herself  from  my  arms. 

"  Let  us  sit  down  a  moment,  Miles,  and  consult  on  family 
affairs  now  we  are  here,"  she  said,  smiling.  "  It  may  be 
early  to  begin,  but  such  old  acquaintances  have  no  need  of 
time  to  discover  each  other's  wishes  and  good  and  bad  qual- 
ities. I  agree  with  you  heart  and  mind  in  saying  we  will 
never  turn  our  backs  on  Clawbonny — dear,  dear  Clawbonny, 
where  we  were  children  together,  Miles;  where  we  knew  so 
well,  and  loved  so  well,  our  departed  Grace — and  I  hope 
and  trust  it  will  ever  be  our  principal  residence.  The 
country-house  I  inherit  from  Mrs.  Bradfort  is  better  suited 
to  modern  tastes  and  habits,  perhaps,  but  it  can  never  be 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  449 

one-half  so  dear  to  either  of  us.  I  would  not  speak  to  you 
on  this  subject  before,  Miles,  because  I  wished  first  to  give 
you  a  husband's  just  control  over  me  and  mine,  in  giving  you 
my  hand;  but,  now,  I  may  and  will  suggest  what  has  been 
passing  in  my  mind  on  this  subject.  Riversedge  " — so  was 
Mrs.  Bradfort's  country-house  called — "  is  a  good  residence, 
and  is  sufficiently  well  furnished  for  any  respectable  family. 
Rupert  and  Emily  must  live  somewhere,  and  I  feel  certain 
it  cannot  long  be  in  Broadway.  Now  I  have  thought  I 
would  reserve  Riversedge  for  their  future  use.  They  can 
take  it  immediately,  as  a  summer  residence;  for  I  prize  one 
hour  passed  here  more  than  twenty -four  hours  passed  there." 

"  What,  rebel !  Even  should  I  choose  to  dwell  in  your 
Westchester  house  ? " 

"You  will  be  here,  Miles;  and  it  is  on  your  account  that 
Clawbonny  is  so  dear  to  me.  The  place  is  yours — I  am 
yours — and  all  your  possessions  should  go  together." 

"Thank  you,  dearest.  But  will  Rupert  be  able  to  keep 
up  a  town  and  a  country  house  ?  " 

"  The  first,  not  long,  for  a  certainty ;  how  long,  you  know 
better  than  I.  When  I  have  been  your  wife  half  a  dozen 
years,  perhaps  you  will  think  me  worthy  of  knowing  the 
secret  of  the  money  he  actually  has." 

This  was  said  pleasantly;  but  it  was  not  said  without 
anxiety.  I  reflected  on  the  conditions  of  my  secrecy. 
Grace  wished  to  keep  the  facts  from  Lucy,  lest  the  noble- 
hearted  sister  should  awaken  a  feeling  in  the  brother  that 
might  prevent  her  bequest  from  being  carried  into  effect. 
Then,  she  did  not  think  Lucy  would  ever  become  my  wife, 
and  circumstances  were  changed,  while  there  was  no  longer 
a  reason  for  concealing  the  truth  from  the  present  applicant, 
at  least.  I  communicated  all  that  had  passed  on  the  subject 
to  my  deeply-interested  listener.  Lucy  received  the  facts 
with  sorrow,  though  they  were  no  more  than  she  had  ex- 
pected to  learn. 

"  I  should  be  covered  with  shame  were  I  to  hear  this  from 

29 


450  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

any  other  than  you,  Miles,"  she  answered,  after  a  thoughtful 
pause;  "but  I  know  your  nature  too  well  not  to  feel  certain 
that  the  sacrifice  scarce  cost  you  a  thought,  and  that  you 
regretted  Rupert's  self-forgetfulness  more  than  the  loss  of 
the  money.  I  confess  this  revelation  has  changed  all  my 
plans  for  the  future,  so  far  as  they  were  connected  with  my 
brother." 

"  In  what  manner,  dearest  ?  Let  nothing  that  has  hap- 
pened to  me  influence  your  decisions." 

"  In  so  much  as  it  affects  my  views  of  Rupert's  character, 
it  must,  Miles.  I  had  intended  to  divide  Mrs.  Bradfort's 
fortune  equally  with  my  brother.  Had  I  married  any  man 
but  you,  I  should  have  made  this  a  condition  of  our  union; 
hut  you  I  know  so  well,  and  so  well  know  I  could  trust,  that 
I  have  found  a  deep  satisfaction  in  placing  myself,  as  it 
might  be,  in  your  power.  I  know  that  all  my  personal 
property  is  already  yours,  without  reserve,  and  that  I  can 
make  no  disposition  of  the  real,  even  after  I  come  of  age, 
without  your  consent.  But  I  had  that  faith  in  you  as  to  be- 
lieve you  would  let  me  do  as  I  pleased." 

"  Have  it  still,  love.  I  have  neither  need,  nor  wish,  to 
interfere." 

"  No,  Miles;  it  would  be  madness  to  give  property  to  one 
of  such  a  character.  If  you  approve,  I  will  make  Rupert 
and  Emily  a  moderate  quarterly  allowance,  with  which,  hav- 
ing the  use  of  my  country-place,  they  may  live  respectably. 
Further  than  that  I  should  consider  it  wrong  to  go." 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  how  much  I  approved  of 
this  decision,  or  the  applause  I  lavished  on  the  warm-hearted 
donor.  The  sum  was  fixed  at  two  thousand  dollars  a  year, 
before  we  left  the  room ;  and  the  result  was  communicated 
to  Rupert  by  Lucy  herself  in  a  letter  written  the  very  next 
day. 

Our  wedding-dinner  was  a  modest,  but  a  supremely  happy 
meal ;  and  in  the  evening  the  blacks  had  a  ball  in  a  large 
laundry,  that  stood  a  little  apart,  and  which  was  well  enough 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  451 

suited  to  such  a  scene.  Our  quiet  and  simple  festivities 
endured  for  several  days ;  the  "  uner "  of  Neb  and  Chloe 
taking  place  very  soon  after  our  own  marriage,  and  coming 
in  good  time  to  furnish  an  excuse  for  dancing  the  week 
fairly  out. 

Marble  got  into  trousers  the  day  after  the  ceremony,  and 
then  he  entered  into  the  frolic  with  all  his  heart.  On  the 
whole,  he  was  relieved  from  being  a  bride's-maid — a  suffi- 
ciently pleasant  thing — but  having  got  along  so  well  with 
Lucy,  he  volunteered  to  act  in  the  same  capacity  to  Chloe. 
The  offer  was  refused,  however,  in  the  following  classical 
language : 

"No,  Misser  Marble;  color  is  color,"  returned  Chloe; 
"  you's  white,  and  we's  black.  Mattermony  is  a  berry  solemn 
occerpashun ;  and  there  mustn't  be  no  improper  jokes  at  my 
uner  with  Neb  Clawbonny." 


CHAPTER   XXX. 


This  disease  is  beyond  my  practice  ;  yet  I  have  known  those  which  have  walked 
in  their  sleep,  who  have  died  holily  in  their  beds.  Macbeth. 

The  honeymoon  was  passed  at  Clawbonny,  and  many, 
many  other  honeymoons  that  have  since  succeeded  it.  I 
never  saw  a  man  more  delighted  than  Mr.  Hardinge  was,  at 
finding  me  actually  his  son-in-law.  I  really  believed  he 
loved  me  more  than  he  did  Rupert,  though  he  lived  and 
died  in  ignorance  of  his  own  son's  true  character.  It  would 
have  been  cruel  to  undeceive  him;  and  nothing  particular 
ever  occurred  to  bring  about  an  kdaircissement.  Rupert's 
want  of  principle  was  a  negative,  rather  than  an  active 
quality,  and  was  only  rendered  of  account  by  his  vanity  and 
selfishness.  Self-indulgence  was  all  he  aimed  at,  and  he 
was  much  too  self-indulgent  and  shrewd  to  become  an  active 
rogue.     He  would  have  spenf  Lucy's  and  my  joint  fortunes, 


452  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

had  they  been  put  at  his  control;  but,  as  they  never  were, 
he  was  fain  to  limit  his  expenditures  to  such  sums  as  we 
saw  fit  to  give  him,  with  certain  extra  allowances  extorted 
by  his  debts.  Our  intercourse  was  very  much  restricted  to 
visits  of  ceremony,  at  least  on  my  part;  though  Lucy  saw 
him  oftener;  and  no  allusion  was  ever  made  to  the  past.  I 
called  him  "  Mr.  Hardinge,"  and  he  called  me  "  Mr.  Wall- 
ingford."  "Rupert"  and  "Miles"  were  done  with  forever 
between  us.  I  may  as  well  dispose  of  the  history  of  this 
person  and  his  wife  at  once;  for  I  confess  it  gives  me  pain 
to  speak  of  them,  even  at  this  distance  of  time. 

Rupert  lived  but  four  years  after  my  marriage  to  his  sis- 
ter. As  soon  as  he  found  it  necessary  to  give  up  the  Broad- 
way house,  he  accepted  the  use  of  Riversedge  and  his  sis- 
ter's $2,000  a  year,  with  gratitude,  and  managed  to  get  along 
on  that  sum,  apparently,  down  to  the  hour  of  his  death.  It 
is  true,  that  I  paid  his  debts,  without  Lucy's  knowledge, 
twice  in  that  short  period ;  and  I  really  think  he  was  sensi- 
ble of  his  errors,  to  a  certain  extent,  before  his  eyes  were 
closed.  He  left  one  child,  a  daughter,  who  survived  him 
only  a  few  months.  Major  Merton's  complaints  had  carried 
him  off  previously  to  this.  Between  this  old  officer  and 
myself  there  had  ever  existed  a  species  of  cordiality;  and  I 
do  believe  he  sometimes  remembered  his  various  obliga- 
tions to  me  and  Marble  in  a  proper  temper.  Like  most 
officials  of  free  governments,  he  left  little  or  nothing  behind 
him ;  so  that  Mrs.  Hardinge  was  totally  dependent  on  her 
late  husband's  friends  for  a  support  during  her  widowhood. 
Emily  was  one  of  those  semi-worldly  characters  that  are  not 
absolutely  wanting  in  good  qualities,  while  there  is  always 
more  or  less  of  a  certain  disagreeable  sort  of  calculation  in 
all  they  do.  Rupert's  personal  advantages  and  agreeable 
manners  had  first  attracted  her;  and  believing  him  to  be 
Mrs.  Bradfort's  heir,  she  had  gladly  married  him.  I  think 
she  lived  a  disappointed  woman  after  her  father's  death; 
and  I  was  not  sorry  when  she  let  us  know  that  she  was  about 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  453 

to  "change  her  condition,"  as  it  is  termed  in  widow's  par- 
lance, by  marrying  an  elderly  man,  who  possessed  the  means 
of  giving  her  all  that  money  can  bestow.  With  this  second, 
or,  according  to  Venus's  nomenclature,  j/^-husband,  she 
went  to  Europe,  and  there  remained,  dying  only  three  years 
ago,  an  amply-endowed  widow.  We  kept  up  a  civil  sort  o£ 
intercourse  with  her  to  the  last,  actually  passing  a  few  weeks 
with  her,  some  fifteen  years  since,  in  a  house,  half  barn,  half 
castle,  that  she  called  a  palace,  on  one  of  the  unrivalled 
lakes  of  Italy.  As  la  Signora  Montiera  (Montier),  she  was 
sufficiently  respected,  finishing  her  career  as  a  dowager  of 
good  reputation  and  who  loved  the  "pomps  and  vanities  of 
this  wicked  world."  I  endeavored,  in  this  last  meeting,  to 
bring  to  her  mind  divers  incidents  of  her  early  life,  but 
with  a  singular  want  of  success.  They  had  actually  passed, 
so  far  as  her  memory  was  concerned,  into  the  great  gulf  of 
time,  keeping  company  with  her  sins,  and  appeared  to  be 
entirely  forgotten.  Nevertheless,  la  Signora  was  disposed 
to  treat  me  and  view  me  with  consideration,  as  soon  as  she 
found  me  living  in  credit,  with  money,  horses,  and  carriages 
at  command,  and  to  forget  that  I  had  been  only  a  ship- 
master. She  listened  smilingly,  and  with  patience,  to  what, 
I  dare  say,  were  my  prolix  narratives,  though  her  own  recol- 
lections were  so  singularly  impaired.  She  did  remember 
something  about  the  wheelbarrow  and  the  canal  in  Hyde 
Park ;  but  as  for  the  voyage  across  the  Pacific,  most  of  the 
incidents  had  passed  out  of  her  mind.  To  do  her  honor, 
Lucy  wore  the  pearls,  on  an  occasion  in  which  she  gave  a 
Y\\X\!^Jesta  to  her  neighbors;  and  I  ascertained  she  did  re- 
member them.  She  even  hinted  to  one  of  her  guests,  in  my 
hearing,  that  they  had  been  intended  for  ^^r originally;  but 
"we  cannot  command  the  impulses  of  the  heart,  you  know, 
cara  mia,^^  she  added,  with  a  very  self-complacent  sort  of  a 
sigh. 

What  of  all  this?     The  ci-devant  Emily  was  no  more  than 
a  summary  of  the  feelings,  interests,  and  passions  of  mil- 


454  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

lions,  living  and  dying  in  a  narrow  circle  erected  by  her 
own  vanities,  and  embellished  by  her  own  contracted  notions 
of  what  is  the  end  and  aim  of  human  existence,  and  within 
a  sphere  that  she  fancied  respectable  and  refined. 

As  for  the  race  of  the  Clawbonnys,  all  the  elderly  mem- 
bers of  this  extensive  family  lived  and  died  in  my  service, 
or  it  might  be  better  to  say,  I  lived  in  theirs.  Venus  saw 
several  repetitions  of  her  own  charms  in  the  offspring  of 
Neb  and  Chloe,  though  she  pertinaciously  insisted  to  the 
last  that  Cupid,  as  a  step-husband,  had  no  legitimate  con- 
nection with  any  of  the  glistening,  thick-lipped,  chubby  set. 
But  even  closer  family  ties  than  those  which  bound  my 
slaves  to  me  are  broken  by  the  pressure  of  human  institu- 
tions. The  conscript  fathers  of  New  York  had  long  before 
determined  that  domestic  slavery  should  not  continue  within 
their  borders;  and,  one  by  one,  these  younger  dependents 
dropped  off,  to  seek  their  fortunes  in  town  or  in  other  por- 
tions of  the  state,  until  few  were  left  besides  Neb,  his  con- 
sort, and  their  immediate  descendants.  Some  of  these  last 
still  cling  to  me;  the  parents  having  instilled  into  the  chil- 
dren, in  virtue  of  their  example  and  daily  discourse,  feelings 
that  set  at  naught  the  innovations  of  a  changeable  state  of 
society.  With  them,  Clawbonny  is  still  Clawbonny;  and  I 
and  mine  remain  a  race  apart,  in  their  perception  of  things. 
I  gave  Neb  and  Chloe  their  freedom-papers  the  day  the 
faithful  couple  were  married,  and  at  once  relieved  their 
posterity  from  the  servitude  of  eight-and-twenty,  and  five- 
and-twenty  years,  according  to  sex,  that  might  otherwise 
have  hung  over  all  their  elder  children,  until  the  law,  by  a 
general  sweep,  manumitted  everybody.  These  papers  Neb 
put  in  the  bottom  of  his  tobacco-box,  not  wishing  to  do  any 
discredit  to  a  gift  from  me ;  and  there  I  accidentally  saw 
them,  in  rags,  seventeen  years  later,  not  having  been  opened, 
or  seen  by  a  soul,  as  I  firmly  believe,  in  all  that  time.  It 
is  true,  the  subsequent  legislation  of  the  state  rendered  all 
this  of  no  moment ;  but  the  procedure  showed  the  character 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  455 

and  disposition  of  the  man,  demonstrating  his  resolution  to 
stick  by  me  to  the  last.  He  has  had  no  intention  to  free 
me^  whatever  may  have  been  my  plans  for  himself  and  his 
race. 

I  never  had  more  than  one  conversation  with  either  Neb 
or  his  wife  on  the  subject  of  wages,  and  then  I  discovered 
how  tender  a  thing  it  was  with  the  fellow,  to  place  him  on 
a  level  with  the  other  hired  people  of  my  farm  and  house- 
hold. 

"  I  won'er  what  I  done,  Masser  Mile,  dat  you  want  to  pay 
me  wages,  like  a  hired  man?"  said  Neb,  half  disposed  to 
resent,  and  half  disposed  to  grieve  at  the  proposal.  "  I  was 
born  in  de  family,  and  it  seem  to  me  dat  quite  enough ;  but 
if  dat  isn't  enough,  I  went  to  sea  wid  you,  Masser  Mile,  de 
fuss  day  you  go,  and  I  go  ebbery  time  since." 

These  words,  uttered  a  little  reproachfully,  disposed  of  the 
matter.  From  that  hour  to  this,  the  subject  of  wages  has 
never  been  broached  between  us.  When  Neb  wants  clothes, 
he  goes  and  gets  them,  and  they  are  charged  to  "Masser 
Mile  " ;  when  he  wants  money  he  comes  and  gets  it,  never 
manifesting  the  least  shame  or  reluctance,  but  asking  for 
all  he  has  need  of,  like  a  man.  Chloe  does  the  same  with 
Lucy,  whom  she  regards,  in  addition  to  her  having  the  honor 
to  be  my  wife,  as  a  sort  of  substitute  for  "  Miss  Grace." 
With  this  honest  couple,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miles  Wallingford, 
of  Clawbonny,  and  Riversedge,  and  Union  Place,  are  still 
nothing  but  "  Masser  Mile  "  and  "  Miss  Lucy  " ;  and  I  once 
saw  an  English  traveller  take  out  her  note -book,  and  write 
something  very  funny,  I  dare  say,  when  she  heard  Chloe 
thus  address  the  mother  of  three  fine  children,  who  were 
hanging  around  her  knee,  and  calling  her  by  that,  the  most 
endearing  of  all  appellations.  Chloe  was  indifferent  to  the 
note  of  the  traveller,  however,  still  calling  her  mistress 
"  Miss  Lucy,"  though  the  last  is  now  a  grandmother. 

As  for  the  children  of,  the  house  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
truth  compels  me  to  say,  that  they  have  been  largely  influ- 


456  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

enced  by  the  spirit  of  the  age,  and  that  they  look  on  the 
relation  that  existed  for  more  than  a  century,  between  the 
Wallingfords  and  the  Clawbonnys,  with  eyes  somewhat  dif- 
ferent from  those  of  their  parents.  They  have  begun  to 
migrate,  and  I  am  not  sorry  to  see  them  go.  Notwithstand- 
ing, the  tie  will  not  be  wholly  broken  so  long  as  any  of  the 
older  stock  remain,  tradition  leaving  many  of  its  traces 
among  them.  Not  one  has  ever  left  my  rule  without  my 
consent;  and  I  have  procured  places  for  them  all,  as  ambi- 
tion or  curiosity  has  carried  them  into  the  world. 

As  for  this  new  spirit  of  the  age  that  is  doing  so  much 
among  us,  I  am  not  twaddler  enough  to  complain  of  all 
change,  for  I  know  that  many  of  these  changes  have  had  the 
most  beneficial  effects.  I  am  far  from  thinking  that  do- 
mestic slavery,  as  it  once  existed  at  Clawbonny,  is  a  picture 
of  domestic  slavery  as  it  existed  throughout  the  land;  but  I 
do  believe  that  the  institution,  as  it  was  formerly  known  in 
New  York,  was  quite  as  much  to  the  disadvantage  of  the 
white  man  as  to  that  of  the  black.  There  was  always  some- 
thing of  the  patriarchal  character  in  one  of  our  households 
previously  to  the  change  in  the  laws;  and  the  relation  of 
master  and  slave  in  old,  permanent  families,  in  which 
plenty  was  no  stranger,  had  ever  more  or  less  of  that  which 
was  respectable  and  endearing.  It  is  not  so  much  in  rela- 
tion to  the  abolition  spirit  (if  it  would  only  confine  its 
exertions  to  communities  over  which  it  may  happen  to  pos- 
sess some  right  of  control),  that  I  feel  alarmed,  as  in  refer- 
ence to  a  certain  spirit,  which  appears  to  think  there  always 
must  be  more  and  more  change,  and  that  in  connection  with 
any  specific  interest,  whatever  may  have  been  its  advance- 
ment under  previous  ^^^'/w^j-,-  nothing  in  social  life  being 
fully  developed,  according  to  the  creed  of  these  movement- 
philosophers.  Now,  in  my  view  of  the  matter,  the  two  most 
dangerous  of  all  parties  in  a  state  are  that  which  sets  up 
conservatism  as  its  standard,  and  that  which  sets  up  progress : 
the  one  is  for  preserving  things  of  which  it  would  be  better 


MILES   WALLINGFORD.  457 

to  be  rid,  while  the  other  crushes  all  that  is  necessary  and 
useful  in  its  headlong  course.  I  now  speak  of  these  op- 
posing principles,  as  they  are  marshalled  in  parties^  opposi- 
tion giving  pertinacity  and  violence  to  each.  No  sane  man 
can  doubt  that,  in  the  progress  of  events,  much  is  produced 
that  ought  to  be  retained,  and  much  generated  that  it  would 
be  wiser  to  reject.  He  alone  is  the  safe  and  wise  legislator, 
who  knows  how,  and  when,  to  make  the  proper  distinctions. 
As  for  conservatism,  Lafayette  once  characterized  it  excel- 
lently well  in  one  of  his  happiest  hits  in  the  tribune. 
"Gentlemen  talk  of  the  just  medium  {juste  milieu)^^''  he  said, 
"as  if  it  embraced  a  clear  political  creed.  We  all  know 
what  the  just  medium  is,  as  relates  to  any  particular  ques- 
tion; it  is  simply  the  truth,  as  it  is  connected  with  that 
question.  But  when  gentlemen  say  that  they  belong  to  the 
juste  milieu^  as  a  party ^  and  that  they  intend  to  steer  a  middle 
course  in  all  the  public  events  of  the  day,  they  remind  me 
of  a  case  like  this — a  man  of  exaggerated  notions  lays  down 
the  proposition  that  four  and  four  make  ten;  another  of 
more  discretion  and  better  arithmetic  combats  this  idea,  by 
maintaining  that  four  and  four  make  only  eight;  whereupon, 
your  gentleman  of  the  juste  milieu  finds  himself  obliged  to 
say,  *  Messieurs,  you  are  equally  in  the  wrong;  the  truth 
never  lies  in  extremes,  and  four  and  four  make  nine.'  " 

What  is  true  of  conservatism,  as  a  principle,  is  still  more 
true  as  to  the  movement;  for  it  often  happens  in  morals,  as 
well  as  in  physics,  that  the  remedy  is  worse  than  the  dis- 
ease. The  great  evil  of  Europe,  in  connection  with  inter- 
ests of  this  nature,  arises  from  facts  that  have  little  or  no 
influence  here.  There,  radical  changes  have  been  made,  the 
very  base  of  the  social  edifice  having  been  altered,  while 
much  of  the  ancient  architecture  remains  in  the  superstruc- 
ture. Where  this  is  the  case,  some  errors  may  be  pardoned 
in  the  artisans  who  are  for  reducing  the  whole  to  the  sim- 
plicity of  a  single  order.  But,  among  ourselves,  the  man  who 
can  see  no  end  to  anything  earthly,  ever  maintaining  that  the 


458  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

best  always  lies  beyond,  if  he  live  long  enough  to  succeed, 
may  live  long  enough  to  discover  that  truth  is  always  on  an 
eminence,  and  that  the  downward  course  is  only  too  easy  to 
those  who  rush  in  so  headlong  a  manner  at  its  goal,  as  to 
suffer  the  impetus  of  the  ascent  to  carry  them  past  the  apex. 
A  social  fact  cannot  be  carried  out  to  demonstration  like  a 
problem  in  Euclid,  the  ramifications  being  so  infinite  as  to 
reduce  the  results  to  something  very  like  a  conclusion  from 
a  multitude  of  interests. 

It  is  next  incumbent  to  speak  of  Marble.  He  passed  an 
entire  month  at  Clawbonny,  during  which  time  he  and  Neb 
rigged  the  Grace  and  Lucy  seven  different  ways,  coming 
back  to  that  in  which  they  found  her,  as  the  only  rig  in 
which  she  would  sail;  no  bad  illustration,  by  the  way,  of 
what  is  too  often  the  winding  up  of  experiments  in  overdone 
political  movements.  Moses  tried  shooting,  which  he  had 
heard  belonged  to  a  country  life ;  and  he  had  a  sort  of  de- 
sign to  set  up  as  a  fourth  or  fifth  class  country  gentleman ; 
but  his  legs  were  too  short  to  clamber  over  high  rail-fences 
with  any  comfort,  and  he  gave  up  the  amusement  in  despair. 
In  the  course  of  a  trial  of  ten  days,  he  brought  in  three 
robins,  a  small  squirrel,  and  a  crow;  maintaining  that  he 
had  also  wounded  a  pigeon,  and  frightened  a  whole  flock  of 
quails.  I  have  often  bagged  ten  brace  of  woodcocks  of  a 
morning  in  the  shooting-grounds  of  Clawbonny,  and  as 
many  quails  in  their  season. 

Six  weeks  after  our  marriage,  Lucy  and  I  paid  Willow 
Cove  a  visit,  where  we  passed  a  very  pleasant  week.  To 
my  surprise,  I  received  a  visit  from  'Squire  Van  Tassel, 
who  seemed  to  bear  no  malice.  Marble  made  peace  with 
him  as  soon  as  he  paid  back  the  amount  of  his  father's 
bond,  principal  and  interest,  though  he  always  spoke  of  him 
contemptuously  to  me  in  private.  I  must  confess  I  was 
astonished  at  the  seemingly  forgiving  temper  of  the  old 
usurer;  but  I  was  then  too  young  to  understand  that  there 
are  two  principles  that  govern  men's  conduct  as  regards  their 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  459 

associations;  the  one  proceeding  from  humility  and  Chris- 
tian forgiveness,  and  the  other  from  an  indifference  to  what 
is  right.  I  am  afraid  the  last  produces  more  of  what  is 
called  a  forgiving  temper  than  the  first;  men  being  often 
called  vindictive,  when  they  are  merely  honest. 

Marble  lost  his  mother  about  a  twelvemonth  after  we  re- 
turned from  our  unfortunate  voyage  in  the  Dawn.  A  month 
or  two  earlier  he  lost  his  niece,  little  Kitty,  by  a  marriage 
with  the  son  of  "  neighbor  Bright."  After  this,  he  passed 
much  of  his  time  at  Clawbonny,  making  occasional  visits 
to  us,  in  Chamber  street,  in  the  winter.  I  say  in  Chamber 
street,  as  trade  soon  drove  us  out  of  Lucy's  town  residence 
in  Wall  street.  The  lot  on  which  the  last  once  stood  is 
still  her  property,  and  is  a  small  fortune  of  itself.  I  pur- 
chased and  built  in  Chamber  street,  in  1805,  making  an  ex- 
cellent investment.  In  1825,  we  went  into  Bleecker  street, 
a  mile  higher  up  town,  in  order  to  keep  in  the  beau  quartier; 
and  I  took  advantage  of  the  scarcity  of  money  and  low  prices 
of  1839,  to  take  up  new  ground  in  Union  Place,  very  nearly 
a  league  from  the  point  where  Lucy  commenced  as  a  house- 
keeper in  the  good  and  growing  town  of  Manhattan. 

After  Marble  found  himself  an  orphan  again,  he  com- 
plained that  he  was  little  better  off  than  a  "  bloody  hermit" 
at  Willow  Cove,  and  began  to  talk  about  seeing  the  world. 
All  of  a  sudden  he  made  his  appearance  at  Clawbonny,  bag 
and  baggage,  and  announced  an  intention  to  look  for  a 
mate's  berth  in  some  East  Indiaman.  I  heard  his  story, 
kept  him  a  day  or  two  with  me,  while  I  superintended  the 
masons  who  were  building  my  addition  to  the  house,  which 
was  then  nearly  completed,  and  then  we  proceeded  to  town 
in  company.  I  took  Moses  to  the  shipyards,  and  carried 
him  on  board  a  vessel  that  was  just  receiving  her  spars 
(she  was  coppered  and  copper-fastened,  A  No.  1,  of  live-oak 
frame,  and  southern  pine  decks,  etc.),  asking  him  how  he 
liked  her.  He  hoped  shob  had  a  good  name.  "  Why,  she  is 
called  the  Smudge,"  I  answered.     "  I  hope  you  fancy  it.'* 


460  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

Moses  jerked  a  finger  over  his  shoulder,  as  much  as  to  say 
he  understood  me,  and  inquired  where  I  intended  to  send 
the  craft.  "To  Canton,  with  you  for  master."  I  saw  that 
my  old  mate  was  touched  with  this  proof  of  confidence,  and 
that  his  self-esteem  had  so  much  risen  with  the  discovery 
of  his  origin  that  he  made  no  objections  to  the  trust.  I  did 
not  intend  to  go  regularly  into  commerce,  but  I  kept  the 
Smudge  running  many  years,  always  under  Marble,  and 
made  a  vast  deal  of  money  by  her.  Once  she  went  to 
Europe,  Lucy  and  I  going  in  her  as  passengers.  This  was 
after  the  death  of  my  dear  old  guardian,  who  made  such  an 
end  as  became  his  virtuous  and  Christian  life.  We,  that 
is  Lucy  and  I,  remained  abroad  several  years,  returning 
home  in  the  Smudge,  and  on  the  last  voyage  she  ever  made 
as  belonging  to  me.  Neb  had  often  been  out  in  the  ship, 
just  to  vary  the  scene;  and  he  came  to  Havre  in  her,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  when  "  Masser  Mile,"  "  Miss  Lucy,"  and 
their  two  "young  massers,"  and  two  "young  missuses," 
were  ready  to  come  home.  I  was  a  good  deal  shocked  at 
meeting  my  old  friend,  Moses,  on  this  occasion,  for  he  was 
breaking  up  fast,  being  now  hard  upon  seventy;  a  time 
of  life  when  most  seamen  are  unfit  for  their  calling.  Moses, 
however,  had  held  on,  with  a  determination  to  convey  us  all 
back  to  Clawbonny.  Three  days  after  we  had  sailed,  the 
man  of  stone  had  to  give  up  and  take  to  his  berth.  I  saw 
that  his  days  were  numbered,  and  felt  it  to  be  a  duty  to  let 
him  know  his  real  situation.  It  was  an  unpleasant  office, 
but  became  less  so  by  the  resigned  and  manly  manner  in 
which  the  invalid  heard  me.  It  was  only  when  I  ceased 
speaking  that  he  made  an  attempt  to  reply. 

"  I  have  known  that  the  v'y'ge  of  life  was  pretty  near  up, 
Miles,"  he  then  answered,  "for  many  a  day.  When  the 
timbers  complain  and  the  new  tree-nails  hit  only  decayed 
wood,  it  is  time  to  think  of  breaking  up  the  hull  for  the 
craft's  copper  and  old  iron.  I've  pretty  much  worn  out  the 
Smudge,  and  the  Smudge  has  pretty  much  worn  out  me.     I 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  46 1 

shall  never  see  Ameriky,  and  I  now  give  up  charge  of  the 
craft  to  you.  She  is  your  own  now,  and  nobody  can  take 
better  care  of  her.  I  own  I  should  like  to  be  cased  in  some- 
thing that  once  belonged  to  her.  There's  the  bulkhead 
that  was  taken  down  to  alter  the  staterooms  for  your  family 
— it  would  make  as  comfortable  a  coffin  as  a  body  could 
want." 

I  promised  the  old  man  all  should  be  done  as  he  desired. 
After  a  short  pause,  it  struck  me  the  present  might  be  a 
favorable  moment  to  say  a  word  on  the  subject  of  the  future. 
Marble  was  never  a  vicious  man,  nor  could  he  be  called  a 
particularly  wicked  man,  as  the  world  goes.  He  was  thor- 
oughly honest,  after  making  a  few  allowances  for  the  pe- 
culiar opinions  of  seamen,  and  his  sins  were  principally 
those  of  omission.  But,  of  religious  instruction  he  had  lit- 
erally known  none  in  early  life.  That  which  he  had  picked 
up  in  his  subsequent  career  was  not  of  the  most  orthodox 
character.  I  had  often  thought  Marble  was  well  disposed 
on  such  subjects,  but  opportunity  was  always  wanting  to 
improve  this  hopeful  disposition.  Accordingly,  I  now  spoke 
plainly  to  him,  and  I  could  see  his  still  keen  eyes  turned 
wistfully  toward  me  more  than  once  as  he  listened  with  an 
absorbed  attention. 

**  Ay,  ay.  Miles,"  he  answered,  when  I  was  through,  *'  this 
may  all  be  true  enough,  but  it's  rather  late  in  the  day  for 
me  to  go  to  school.  I've  heard  most  of  it  before  in  one 
shape  or  another,  but  it  always  came  so  much  in  scraps  and 
fragments  that  before  I  could  bend  one  idee  on  to  another 
so  as  to  make  any  useful  gear  of  the  whole,  some  of  the 
pieces  have  slipped  through  my  fingers.  Hows'ever,  I've 
been  hard  at  work  at  the  good  book  the  whole  of  this  v'y'ge, 
and  you  know  it's  been  a  long  one;  and  I  must  say  that  I've 
picked  up  a  good  deal  that  seems  to  me  to  be  of  the  right 
quality.  Now  I  always  thought  it  was  one  of  the  foolishest 
things  a  man  could  do  ^to  forgive  one's  enemies,  my  rule 
having  been  to  return  broadside  for  broadside,  as  you  must 


462  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

pretty  well  know;  but  I  now  see  that  it  is  more  like  a  kind 
natur'  to  pardon  than  to  revenge." 

"  My  dear  Moses,  this  is  a  very  hopeful  frame  of  mind ; 
carry  out  this  feeling  in  all  things,  leaning  on  the  Saviour 
alone  for  your  support,  and  your  dying  hour  may  well  be  the 
happiest  of  your  life." 

"  There's  that  bloody  Smudge,  notwithstanding ;  I  hardly 
think  it  will  be  expected  of  me  to  look  upon  him  as  any- 
thing but  a  'longshore  pirate,  and  a  fellow  to  be  disposed  of 
in  the  shortest  way  possible.  As  for  old  Van  Tassel,  he's 
gone  to  square  the  yards  in  a  part  of  the  universe  where  all 
his  tricks  will  be  known ;  and  I  hold  it  to  be  onreasonable 
to  carry  spite  ag'in  a  man  beyond  the  grave.  I  rather  think 
I  have  altogether  forgiven  him ;  though,  to  speak  the  truth, 
he  desarved  a  rope's-ending." 

I  understood  Marble  much  better  than  he  understood 
himself.  He  felt  the  sublime  beauty  of  the  Christian  mor- 
ality, but  at  the  same  time,  he  felt  there  were  certain  notions 
so  rooted  in  his  own  heart  that  it  exceeded  his  power  to  ex- 
tract them.  As  for  Smudge,  his  mind  had  its  misgivings 
concerning  the  propriety  of  his  own  act,  and  with  the  quick- 
ness of  his  nature,  sought  to  protect  itself  against  its  own 
suggestions  by  making  an  exception  of  that  wretch,  as 
against  the  general  mandates  of  God.  Van  Tassel  he  prob- 
ably could  in  a  manner  pardon,  the  mischief  having  been  in 
a  measure  repaired ;  though  it  was  a  forgiveness  that  was 
strangely  tinctured  with  his  own  deep  contempt  for  the 
meanness  of  the  transgressor. 

Our  conversation  lasted  a  long  time.  At  length  Lucy 
joined  in  it,  when  I  thought  it  wisest  to  leave  the  old  tar  in 
the  hands  of  one  so  well  fitted  by  nature  and  education  to 
be  the  instrument,  under  the  providence  of  God,  of  bringing 
him  to  a  more  healthful  view  of  his  condition.  I  had  the 
ship  to  take  care  of,  and  this  was  a  good  excuse  for  not  in- 
terfering much  with  what  passed  between  the  dying  man 
and  her  who  might  almost  be  termed  his  ministering  angel. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  463 

I  overheard  many  of  their  conferences,  and  was  present  at 
some  of  their  prayers,  as  were  my  sons  and  daughters;  being 
thus  enabled  to  understand  the  progress  that  was  made  and 
the  character  of  the  whole  procedure. 

It  was  an  admirable  sight,  truly,  to  see  that  still  lovely 
woman,  using  all  the  persuasion  of  her  gentle  rhetoric,  all 
the  eloquence  of  her  warm  feelings  and  just  mind,  devoting 
herself  for  days  and  days  to  the  labor  of  leading  such  a 
spirit  as  that  of  Marble's  to  entertain  just  and  humble  views 
of  his  own  relation  to  the  Creator  and  his  Son,  the  Saviour 
of  men.  I  will  not  say  that  complete  success  crowned  the 
pious  efforts  of  the  single-hearted  woman  it  was  my  blessed 
fortune  to  call  my  wife ;  this,  perhaps,  was  not  to  be  expected. 
It  required  a  power  exceeding  hers  to  guide  the  human  heart 
at  seventy,  after  a  seaman's  life,  to  a  full  repentance  of  its 
sins;  but,  by  the  grace  of  God,  so  much  seemed  to  be  ac- 
complished, as  to  give  us  all  reason  to  hope  that  the  seed 
had  taken  root,  and  that  the  plant  might  grow  under  the 
guidance  of  that  Spirit  in  whose  likeness  the  most  lowly  of 
the  race  has  been  created. 

The  passage  was  long,  but  very  tranquil,  and  there  was 
ample  time  for  all  that  has  been  related.  The  ship  was 
still  to  the  eastward  of  the  Grand  Banks,  when  Marble 
ceased  to  converse  much ;  though  it  was  evident  his  thoughts 
were  intently  musing.  He  fell  away  fast,  and  I  began  to 
look  forward  to  his  final  departure,  as  an  event  that  might 
occur  at  any  hour.  He  did  not  seem  to  suffer,  but  his  hold 
of  life  gradually  gave  way,  and  the  spirit  was  about  to  take 
its  departure,  purely  on  account  of  the  decayed  condition  of 
the  earthly  tenement  in  which  it  had  so  long  dwelt,  as  the 
stork  finally  deserts  the  tottering  chimney. 

About  a  week  after  this  change,  my  son  Miles  came  to 
me  on  deck,  and  informed  me  his  dear  mother  desired  to 
see  me  in  the  cabin.  On  going  below,  I  was  met  by  Lucy, 
with  a  face  that  denoted  how  solemn  she  felt  was  the  char- 
acter of  the  intelligence  sfle  had  to  communicate. 


464  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

"The  moment  is  at  hand,  dear  Miles,"  she  said.  "Our 
old  friend  is  about  to  be  called  away." 

I  felt  a  pang  at  this  speech,  though  I  had  long  expected 
the  result.  Many  of  the  earlier  and  more  adventurous  years 
of  my  life  passed  rapidly  in  review  before  me,  and  I  found 
the  image  of  the  dying  man  blended  with  nearly  all. 
Whatever  may  have  been  his  peculiarities,  to  me  he  had 
always  been  true.  From  the  hour  when  I  first  shipped,  as 
a  runaway  boy,  on  board  the  John,  down  to  that  hour,  Moses 
Marble  had  proved  himself  a  firm  and  disinterested  friend 
to  Miles  Wallingford. 

"Is  he  conscious.?"  I  asked,  anxiously.  "When  I  last 
saw  him,  I  thought  his  mind  wandered  a  little." 

"  Perhaps  it  did;  but  he  is  now  more  collected,  if  not  en- 
tirely so.  There  is  reason  to  think  he  has  at  length  felt 
some  of  the  influence  of  the  Redeemer's  sacrifice.  For  the 
last  week,  the  proofs  of  this  have  been  increasing." 

No  more  passed  between  Lucy  and  me,  on  the  subject,  at 
that  time ;  but  I  entered  the  cabin  in  which  the  cot  of  Mar- 
ble had  been  slung.  It  was  a  spacious,  airy  room,  for  a 
ship;  one  that  had  been  expressly  fitted  by  my  orders,  for 
the  convenience  of  Lucy  and  her  two  daughters,  but  which 
those  dear,  self-denying  creatures  had  early  and  cheerfully 
given  up,  to  the  possession  of  their  old  friend. 

As  yet,  I  have  not  particularly  spoken  of  these  two  girls, 
the  eldest  of  whom  was  named  Grace,  and  the  youngest 
Lucy.  At  that  time,  the  first  was  just  fifteen,  while  her  sis- 
ter was  two  years  younger.  By  a  singular  coincidence,  Grace 
resembled  the  women  of  my  family  most;  while  the  latter, 
the  dear,  ingenuous,  frank,  pretty  little  thing,  had  so  much 
likeness  to  her  mother,  when  at  the  same  time  of  life,  that 
I  often  caught  her  in  my  arms,  and  kissed  her,  as  she  uttered 
some  honest  sentiment,  or  laughed  joyously  and  melodiously, 
as  had  been  the  practice  of  her  who  bore  her,  twenty  years 
before.  On  those  occasions,  Lucy  would  smile,  and  some- 
times a  slight  blush  would  suffuse  her  face;  for  I  could  see 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  465 

she  well  understood  the  impulse  which  would  so  suddenly 
carry  me  off  to  the  days  of  my  boyhood  and  boyish  affection. 

On  the  present  solemn  occasion  both  the  girls  were  in  the 
cabin,  struggling  to  be  calm,  and  doing  all  that  lay  in  their 
power  to  solace  the  dying  man.  Grace,  the  oldest,  was  the 
most  active  and  efficient,  of  course,  her  tender  years  induc- 
ing diffidence  in  her  sister;  still,  that  little  image  of  her 
mother  could  not  be  kept  entirely  in  the  background,  when 
the  heart  and  desire  to  be  useful  were  urging  her  to  come 
out  of  herself,  in  order  to  share  in  her  sister's  duties. 

I  found  Marble  quite  sensible,  and  the  anxious  manner 
in  which  he  slowly  examined  all  the  interested  faces  that 
were  now  gathered  about  his  bed,  proved  how  accurately  he 
noted  the  present  and  the  absent.  Twice  did  he  go  over  us 
all,  ere  he  spoke  in  the  husky  tones  that  usually  precede 
death. 

"  Call  Neb,"  he  said — "  I  took  leave  of  my  mates,  and  of 
all  the  rest  of  the  men,  yesterday;  but  I  consider  Neb  as 
one  of  the  family,  Miles,  and  left  him  for  the  last." 

This  I  knew  to  be  true,  though  I  purposely  absented  my- 
self from  a  scene  that  I  well  understood  would  have  to  be 
repeated  in  my  case.  Neb  was  summoned  accordingly,  not 
a  syllable  being  uttered  among  us,  until  the  black  stood  just 
without  the  circle  of  my  own  wife  and  children.  Moses 
watched  the  arrangement  jealously,  and  it  seems  he  was  dis- 
satisfied at  seeing  his  old  shipmate  keeping  so  much  aloof 
at  that  solemn  and  absorbing  moment. 

**  You  are  but  a  nigger,  I  know.  Neb,"  the  old  seaman  got 
out,  "  but  your  heart  would  do  honor  to  a  king.  It's  next 
to  Miles's,  and  that's  as  much  as  can  be  said  of  any  man's. 
Come  nearer,  boy;  none  here  will  grudge  you  the  liberty." 

Little  Lucy  drew  back  in  an  instant,  and  fairly  pulled 
Neb  into  the  place  she  herself  had  just  before  occupied. 

"Bless  you  for  that,  young  'un,"  said  Marble.  "I  didn't 
know  your  mother  when  she^was  of  your  age,  but  I  can  see 
that  one  cat-block  is  not  more  like  another  than  you  are  like 
30 


466  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

what  she  was  at  your  age ;  keep  that  likeness  up,  my  dear, 
and  then  your  father  will  be  as  happy  and  fortinate  in  his 
darter  as  he  has  been  in  his  wife.  Well,  nobody  desarves 
his  luck  better  than  Miles — providential  luck,  I  mean,  my 
dear  Madam  Wallingford,"  interpreting  a  sorrowful  ex- 
pression of  Lucy's  eyes  aright ;  "  for  thanks  to  your  teach- 
ing, I  now  understand  there  is  a  divine  director  of  all  our 
fortins,  whether  ashore  or  afloat,  black  or  white." 

"  There  is  not  a  sparrow  falls,  Captain  Marble,"  said  the 
gentle,  earnest  voice  of  my  wife,  "  that  he  does  not  note  it." 

"  Yes,  so  I  understand  it  now,  though  once  I  thought  little 
of  such  things.  Thus,  when  we  were  wracked  in  the  Dawn, 
Neb,  it  was  by  God's  will,  and  with  a  design,  like,  to  bring 
us  three  all  on  to  our  present  fortin,  and  present  frame  of 
mind;  should  I  ever  use  the  word  luck,  ag'in,  which  I  may 
be  likely  enough  to  do  from  habit,  you  are  all  to  understand 
I  mean  what  I  call  providential  luck.  Yes,  Madam  Wall- 
ingford,  I  comprehend  it  perfectly,  and  shall  never  forget 
your  kindness,  which  has  been  to  me  the  best  turn  of  provi- 
dential luck  that  has  ever  happened.  I've  sent  for  you.  Neb, 
to  have  a  parting  word,  and  to  give  you  the  advice  of  an  old 
man  before  I  quit  this  world  altogether." 

Neb  began  to  twist  his  fingers,  and  I  could  see  tears  glis- 
tening in  his  eyes;  for  his  attachment  to  Marble  was  of 
very  long  standing  and  of  proof.  When  men  have  gone 
through,  together,  as  much  as  we  three  had  experienced  in 
company,  indeed,  the  most  trifling  griefs  of  every-day  life 
get  to  appear  so  insignificant,  that  our  connection  seems  to 
be  one  of  a  nature  altogether  stronger  than  the  commoner 
ties. 

"Yes,  sah,  Cap'in  Marble,  sah;  what  please  to  be  your 
wish,  sah?  "  asked  the  negro,  struggling  to  subdue  his  grief. 

"  To  say  a  few  words  of  advice,  Neb,  to  take  leave  of  my 
friends,  and  then  to  be  struck  off  the  shipping  articles  of 
life.  Old  age  and  hard  sarvice,  Neb,  has  made  me  veer 
cable  to  the  better  end.     The  stopper  is  working  loose,  and 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  467 

a  few  more  surges  will  leave  the  hulk  adrift.  The  case  is 
different  with  you,  who  are  in  your  prime,  and  a  prime  chap 
be  you  on  a  yard  or  at  the  wheel.  My  parting  advice  to 
you,  Neb,  is,  to  hold  out  as  you've  begun.  I  don't  say 
you're  without  failin's  (what  nigger  is?),  but  you're  a  good 
fellow,  and  as  sartin  to  be  found  in  your  place  as  the  pumps. 
In  the  first  place,  you're  a  married  man ;  and,  though  your 
wife  is  only  a  negress,  she's  your  wife,  and  you  must  stick 
to  her  through  thick  and  thin.  Take  your  master  as  an 
example,  and  obsarve  how  he  loves  and  cherishes  your  mis- 
tress "  [here  Lucy  pressed,  gently,  closer  to  my  side] ;  "  and 
then,  as  to  your  children,  bring  'em  up  accordin'  to  the  ad- 
vice of  Madam  Wallingford.  You  can  never  sail  under  bet- 
ter instructions  than  hern,  as  I  know,  by  experience.  Be 
particular  to  make  that  Hector  of  yours  knock  off  from 
swearing;  he's  begun,  and  what's  begun  in  sin  is  pretty 
sartain  to  have  an  endin'.  Talk  to  him,  first,  and,  if  that 
won't  do,  rope's-end  it  out  of  him.  There's  great  vartue  in 
ratlin  stuff  among  boys.  As  for  yourself,  Neb,  hold  on  as 
you  have  begun,  and  the  Lord  will  have  marcy  on  you  be- 
fore the  v'y'ge  is  up." 

Here  Marble  ceased  from  exhaustion ;  though  he  made  a 
sign  to  Neb  not  to  move,  as  he  had  more  to  say.  After 
resting  a  little,  he  felt  under  his  pillow,  whence  he  produced 
a  very  old  tobacco-box,  fumbled  about  until  he  had  opened 
it,  took  a  small  bite,  and  shut  the  box  again.  All  this  was 
done  very  slowly,  and  with  the  uncertain,  feeble  movements 
of  a  dying  man.  When  the  lid  was  replaced,  Marble  held 
the  box  toward  Neb,  and  resumed  his  address. 

"  Use  that  for  my  sake,  Neb,"  he  said.  "  It  is  full  of  ex- 
cellent tobacco,  and  the  box  has  the  scent  of  thirty  years  in 
it — that  being  the  time  it  has  sailed  in  my  company.  That 
box  has  been  in  nine  fights,  seven  wracks,  and  has  seen  more 
boat-sarvice  than  most  London  watermen,  or  any  Whitehaller 
of  'em  all.  Among  other  e^plites,  it  has  been  round  the 
world  four  times,  besides  having  run  the  Straits  of  Magellan 


468  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

in  the  dark,  as  might  be — as  your  master  and  you  know  as 
well  as  I  do.  Take  that  box,  therefore,  lad,  and  be  partic- 
ular, always,  to  put  none  but  the  best  of  pig-tail  in  it,  fot 
it's  used  to  that  only.  And  now.  Neb,  a  word  about  a  little 
duty  you're  to  do  for  me,  when  you  get  in.  Ask  your  master, 
first,  for  leave,  and  then  go  up  to  Willow  Cove  and  carry 
my  blessin'  to  Kitty  and  her  children.  It's  easy  done,  if  a 
man  sets  about  it  in  the  right  spirit.  All  you  have  to  do  is 
to  go  up  to  the  Cove  and  say  that  I  prayed  to  God  to  bless 
'em  all  before  I  died.  Do  you  think  you  can  remember 
that?" 

"  I  try,  Cap'in  Marble,  sah — yes,  sah,  I  try  all  I  can, 
dough  I'm  no  scholar." 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  confide  this  office  to  me,"  said 
the  musical  voice  of  my  wife. 

Marble  was  pleased,  and  he  seemed  every  way  disposed 
to  accept  the  offer. 

"I  didn't  like  to  trouble  you  so  much,"  he  answered, 
"  though  I  feel  grateful  for  the  offer.  Well,  then.  Neb,  you 
may  leave  the  blessin'  unsaid,  as  your  mistress  is  so  kind — 
hold  on  a  bit;  you  can  give  it  to  Chloe  and  her  little  family 
— all  but  Hector,  I  mean,  but  not  to  him  unless  he  knocks 
off  swearing!  As  soon  as  he  does  that,  why  let  him  have 
his  share.  Now,  Neb,  give  me  your  hand.  Good-by,  boy; 
you've  been  true  to  me,  and  God  bless  you  for  it.  You  are 
but  a  nigger,  I  know ;  but  there's  One  in  whose  eyes  your 
soul  is  as  precious  as  that  of  many  a  prince  and  priest." 

Neb  shook  hands  with  his  old  commander,  broke  out  of 
the  circle,  rushed  into  the  steerage,  and  blubbered  like  a 
baby.  In  the  mean  time  Marble  paused  to  recover  his  own 
self-possession,  which  had  been  a  little  disturbed  by  the 
feeling  manifested  by  the  black.  As  soon  as  he  felt  him- 
self a  little  composed,  he  hunted  about  his  cot  until  he 
found  two  small  paper  boxes,  each  of  which  contained  a 
very  pretty  ring,  that  it  seemed  he  had  purchased  for  this 
express  purpose  when  last  in  port.     These  rings  he  gave  to 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  469 

my  daughters,  who  received  the  presents  sobbing,  though 
with  strong  natural  exhibitions  of  the  friendly  sentiments 
they  entertained  for  him. 

"  Your  father  and  I  have  gone  through  many  hardships 
and  trials  together,"  he  said,  "and  I  love  you  all  even  more 
than  I  love  my  own  relations.  I  hope  this  is  not  wrong, 
Madam  Wallingford,  for  it's  out  of  my  power  to  help  it. 
I've  already  given  my  keepsakes  to  the  boys,  and  to  your 
parents,  and  I  hope  all  of  you  will  sometimes  remember  the 
poor  old  sea-dog  that  God,  in  his  wisdom,  threw  like  a  waif 
in  your  way,  that  he  might  be  benefited  by  your  society. 
There's  your  polar  star,  young  'uns,"  pointing  to  my  wife. 
"  Keep  God  in  mind  always,  and  give  to  this  righteous 
woman  the  second  place  in  your  hearts — not  that  I  say  a 
word,  or  think  anything  ag'in  your  father,  who's  a  glorious 
fellow  in  his  way,  but,  a'ter  all,  young  women  should  copy 
a'ter  their  mothers,  when  they've  such  a  mother  as  yourn, 
the  best  of  fathers  fallin'  far  astern,  in  gentleness  and  other 
vartues." 

The  girls  wept  freely,  and  Marble,  after  waiting  a  few 
minutes,  took  a  solemn  leave  of  all  my  children,  desiring 
everybody  but  Lucy  and  myself  to  quit  the  cabin.  An  hour 
passed  in  discourse  with  us  two,  during  which  Moses  fre- 
quently exhorted  me  to  give  ear  to  the  pious  counsels  of  my 
wife,  for  he  manifested  much  anxiety  for  the  future  welfare 
of  my  soul. 

"  I've  generalized  a  great  deal  over  that  affair  of  Smudge 
the  whole  of  this  v'y'ge,"  he  continued,  "  and  I've  had  some 
misgivings  consarning  the  explite.  Madam  Wallingford, 
however,  has  eased  my  mind  on  that  score  by  showing  me 
how  to  lay  the  burthen  of  this,  with  all  the  rest  of  the  load 
of  my  sins,  on  the  love  of  Christ.  I  am  resigned  to  go. 
Miles,  for  it  is  time,  and  I'm  getting  to  be  useless.  It's 
wicked  to  wish  to  run  a  ship  after  her  frame  has  worked 
loose,  and  nothing  now  fastens  me  to  life  but  yoa.  I  own 
it's  hard  to  part,  and  my  mind  has  had  some  weakness  on 


4^0  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

the  matter.  However,  Miles,  my  dear  boy,  for  boy  you  are 
still  in  my  eyes,  there  is  comfort  in  looking  ahead.  Go  by 
your  wife's  rules,  and  when  the  v'y'ge  is  up  we  shall  all  find 
ourselves  in  the  same  haven." 

"  It  gives  me  much  happiness,  Moses,  to  find  you  in  this 
frame  of  mind,"  I  answered.  "  Since  you  must  quit  us,  you 
will  not  leave  one  behind  of  the  name  of  Wallingford,  that 
will  not  rejoice  at  this  prospect  for  the  future.  As  for  your 
sins,  God  has  both  the  power  and  the  will  to  lighten  you  of 
their  weight,  when  he  finds  you  disposed  to  penitence,  and 
to  make  use  of  the  mediation  of  his  blessed  Son.  If  there 
is  anything  you  desire  to  have  done  hereafter,  this  is  a  very 
proper  time  to  let  me  know  it." 

"  I've  made  a  will,  Miles,  and  you'll  find  it  in  my  desk. 
There  are  some  trifles  given  to  you  and  yourn,  but  you  want 
not  gold,  and  the  rest  all  goes  to  Kitty  and  her  children. 
There  is  a  p'int,  however,  on  which  my  mind  is  very  onde- 
tarmined,  and  I  will  now  lay  it  before  you.  Don't  you 
think  it  more  becoming  for  a  seaman  to  be  buried  in  blue 
water  than  to  be  tuck'd  up  in  a  churchyard?  I  do  not  like 
tombstones,  having  had  too  much  of  them  in  'arly  youth, 
and  feel  as  if  I  want  sea-room.  What  is  your  opinion, 
Miles?" 

"  Decide  for  yourself.     Your  wishes  will  be  our  law." 

"Then  roll  me  up  in  my  cot  and  launch  me  overboard  in 
the  old  way.  I  have  sometimes  thought  it  might  be  well  to 
lie  at  my  mother's  side;  but  she'll  excuse  an  old  tar  for  pre- 
ferring blue  water  to  one  of  your  country  churchyards." 

After  this,  I  had  several  interviews  with  the  old  man, 
though  he  said  nothing  more  on  the  subject  of  his  inter- 
ment, that  of  his  property,  or  that  of  his  departure.  Lucy 
read  the  Bible  to  him  two  or  three  times  every  day,  and  she 
prayed  with  him  often.  On  one  occasion  I  heard  a  low, 
sweet  voice,  near  his  cot,  and  taking  a  look,  ascertained  it 
was  my  little  pet,  my  daughter  Lucy,  then  only  thirteen, 
reading  a  second  time  a  chapter  that  her  mother  had  gone 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  4^1 

through  only  an  hour  before,  with  some  of  her  own  remarks. 
The  comments  were  wanting  now,  but  the  voice  had  the 
same  gentle  earnestness,  the  same  sweet  modulations,  and 
the  same  impressive  distinctness  as  that  of  the  mother! 

Marble  lived  until  we  had  passed  within  the  Gulf  stream, 
dying  easily  and  without  a  groan,  with  all  my  family.  Neb, 
and  the  first  mate  assembled  near  his  cot.  The  only  thing 
that  marked  his  end  was  a  look  of  singular  significance  that 
he  cast  on  my  wife  not  a  minute  before  he  breathed  his  last. 
There  he  lay,  the  mere  vestige  of  the  robust,  hardy  seaman  I 
had  once  known,  a  child  in  physical  powers,  and  about  to 
make  the  last  great  change.  Material  as  were  the  altera- 
tions in  the  man,  from  what  he  had  been  when  in  his  pride, 
I  thought  the  spiritual  or  intellectual  part  of  his  being  was 
less  to  be  recognized  than  the  bodily.  Certainly  that  look 
was  full  of  resignation  and  hope,  and  we  had  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  this  rude  but  honest  creature  was  spared  long 
enough  to  complete  the  primary  object  of  his  existence. 

In  obedience  to  his  own  earnest  request,  though  sorely 
against  the  feelings  of  my  wife  and  daughters,  I  buried  the 
body  of  my  old  friend  in  the  ocean  six  days  before  we  made 
the  land. 

And  now  it  remains  only  to  speak  of  Lucy.  I  have  de- 
ferred this  agreeable  duty  to  the  last,  passing  over  long 
years  that  were  pregnant  with  many  changes  in  order  to  con- 
clude with  this  delightful  theme. 

The  first  few  years  of  my  married  life  were  years  of  bliss 
to  me.  I  lived  under  a  constant  sense  of  happiness — a 
happiness  that  man  can  derive  only  from  a  union  with  a 
woman  of  whom  his  reason  and  principles  as  much  approve 
as  his  tastes  and  passion  cherish.  I  do  not  mean  to  be  un- 
derstood that  the  years  which  have  succeeded  were  a  whit 
less  happy,  for,  in  a  certain  sense,  they  have  been  more  so, 
and  have  gone  on  increasing  in  happiness  down  to  the 
present  hour;  but  because  time  and  use  finally  so  far  ac- 
customed me  to  this  intimate  connection  with  purity,  virtue, 


472  MILES    VVALLINGFORD. 

female  disinterestedness,  and  feminine  delicacy,  that  I 
should  have  missed  them,  as  things  incorporated  with  my 
very  existence,  had  I  been  suddenly  deprived  of  my  wife, 
quite  as  much  as  in  the  first  years  of  my  married  life,  I  en- 
joyed them  as  things  hitherto  unknown  to  me. 

As  I  ride  over  the  fields  of  Clawbonny,  even  at  this  day, 
I  recall  with  tranquil  delight,  and  I  trust  with  humble  grat- 
itude, the  manner  in  which  those  blessed  early  years  of  our 
marriage  passed.  That  was  the  period  when  every  thought 
of  mine  was  truly  shared  by  Lucy.  She  accompanied  me  in 
my  daily  rides  or  drives,  and  listened  to  every  suggestion 
that  fell  from  my  lips,  with  kind  interest  and  the  most  in- 
dulgent attention,  rendering  me  back  thought  for  thought, 
feeling  for  feeling,  laugh  for  laugh;  and  occasionally  tear 
for  tear.  Not  an  emotion  could  become  aroused  in  my 
breast  that  it  did  not  meet  with  its  reflection  in  hers;  or  a 
sense  of  the  ludicrous  be  awakened,  that  her  keen,  but 
chastened  humor  did  not  increase  its  effect  by  sympathy. 
Those  were  the  years  in  which  were  planned  and  executed 
the  largest  improvements  for  the  buildings,  pleasure- 
grounds,  and  fields  of  Clawbonny.  We  built  extensively, 
not  only  out-houses  and  stables  better  suited  to  our  present 
means,  and  more  enlarged  mode  of  living  than  those  which 
existed  in  my  father's  time,  but,  as  has  been  stated  before, 
we  added  to  the  dwelling,  preserving  its  pleasing  confusion 
and  irregularity  of  architecture.  After  passing  the  first 
summer  which  succeeded  our  marriage  in  this  manner,  I 
told  Lucy  it  was  time  to  stop  building  and  improving  my 
own  place,  in  order  that  some  attention  might  be  bestowed 
on  that  she  had  inherited  from  Mrs.  Bradfort,  and  which 
was  also  old  family  property. 

"  Do  not  think  of  it.  Miles,"  she  said.  "  Keep  Riversedge 
in  good  order,  and  no  more.  Rupert,"  who  was  then  living, 
and  in  possession,  "will  see  that  nothing  goes  to  waste;  but 
Clawbonny,  dear  Clawbonny,  is  the  true  home  of  a  Walling- 
ford — and   I  am  now  a  Wallingford,  you  will  remember. 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  4/3 

Should  this  precious  boy  of  ours  live  to  become  a  man,  and 
marry,  the  old  Westchester  property  can  be  used  by  him, 
until  we  are  ready  to  give  him  up  possession  here." 

This  plan  has  not  been  literally  carried  out;  for  Miles, 
my  eldest  son,  lives  with  us  at  Clawbonny  in  the  summer; 
and  his  noisy  boys  are  at  this  moment  playing  a  game  of 
ball  in  a  field  that  has  been  expressly  devoted  to  their 
amusements. 

The  period  which  succeeded  the  first  half  dozen  years  of 
my  union  with  Lucy  was  not  less  happy  than  the  first  had 
been;  though  it  assumed  a  new  character.  Our  children 
then  came  into  the  account,  not  as  mere  playthings,  and 
little  beings  to  be  most  tenderly  loved  and  cared  for,  but  as 
creatures  that  possess  the  image  of  God  in  their  souls,  and 
whose  future  characters,  in  a  measure,  depended  on  our  in- 
struction. The  manner  in  which  Lucy  governed  her  chil- 
dren and  led  them  by  gentle  means  to  virtue  and  truth  has 
always  been  a  subject  of  the  deepest  admiration  and  grati- 
tude with  me.  Her  rule  has  been  truly  one  of  love.  I  do 
not  know  that  I  ever  heard  her  voice  raised  in  anger  to  any 
human  being,  much  less  to  her  own  offspring;  but  whenever 
reproof  has  come,  it  has  come  in  the  language  of  interest 
and  affection,  more  or  less  qualified  by  severity,  as  circum- 
stances may  have  required.  The  result  has  been  all  that 
our  fondest  hopes  could  have  led  us  to  anticipate. 

When  we  travelled,  it  was  with  all  our  young  people,  and 
a  new  era  of  happiness,  heightened  by  the  strongest  domestic 
affection,  opened  on  us.  All  who  have  seen  the  world  have 
experienced  the  manner  in  which  our  intellectual  existences, 
as  it  might  be,  expand;  but  no  one  who  has  not  experienced 
it  can  tell  the  deep,  heartfelt  satisfaction  there  is  in  receiv- 
ing this  enlargement  of  the  moral  creature  in  close  associa- 
tion with  those  we  love  most  on  earth.  The  manner  in 
which  Lucy  enjoyed  all  she  saw  and  learned  on  our  first 
visit  to  the  other  hemisphere;  her  youngest  child — all  four 
of  our  children  were  born  within  the  first  eight  years  of 


474  MILES   WALLINGFORD. 

our  marriage — her  youngest  child  was  then  long  past  its  in- 
fancy, and  she  had  leisure  to  enjoy  herself,  in  increasing 
the  happiness  of  her  offspring.  She  had  improved  her 
mind  by  reading;  and  her  historical  lore,  in  particular,  was 
always  ready  to  be  produced  for  the  common  advantage. 
There  was  no  ostentation  in  this;  but  everything  was  pro- 
duced just  as  if  each  had  a  right  to  its  use.  Then  it  was  I 
felt  the  immense  importance  of  having  a  companion,  in  an 
intellectual  sense,  in  a  wife.  Lucy  had  always  been  intel- 
ligent; but  I  never  fully  understood  her  superiority  in  thi? 
respect  until  we  travelled  together  amid  the  teeming  recol- 
lections and  scenes  of  the  old  world.  That  America  is  the 
greatest  country  of  ancient  or  modern  times  I  shall  not 
deny.  Everybody  says  it;  and  what  everybody  says  must 
be  true.  Nevertheless,  I  will  venture  to  hint  that,  cceteris 
paribus,  and  where  there  is  the  disposition  to  think  at  all, 
the  intellectual  existence  of  every  American  who  goes  to 
Europe  is  more  than  doubled  in  its  intensity.  This  is  the 
country  of  action,  not  of  thought  or  speculation.  M.QXiJollow 
out  their  facts  to  results,  instead  of  reasoning  them  out. 
Then,  the  multiplicity  of  objects  and  events  that  exist  in 
the  old  countries  to  quicken  the  powers  of  the  mind  has  no 
parallel  here.  It  is  owing  to  this  want  of  the  present  and 
the  past  which  causes  the  American,  the  moment  he  becomes 
speculative,  to  run  into  the  future.  That  future  promises 
much,  and,  in  a  degree,  may  justify  the  weakness.  Let  us 
take  heed,  however,  that  it  do  not  lead  to  disappointment. 

After  all,  I  have  found  Lucy  the  most  dear  to  me,  and  the 
most  valuable  companion,  since  we  have  both  passed  the 
age  of  fifty.  Air  is  not  more  transparent  than  her  pure 
mind,  and  I  ever  turn  to  it  for  counsel,  sympathy,  and  sup- 
port, with  a  confidence  and  reliance  that  experience  could 
alone  justify.  As  we  draw  nearer  to  the  close  of  life,  I  find 
my  wife  gradually  loosening  the  ties  of  this  world,  her  love 
for  her  husband  and  children  excepted,  and  fastening  her 
looks  on  a  future  world.     In  thus  accomplishing  with  a 


MILES    WALLINGFORD.  475 

truth  and  nature  that  are  unerringly  accurate,  the  great  end 
of  her  being,  nothing  repulsive,  nothing  that  is  in  the  least 
tinctured  with  bigotry,  and  nothing  that  is  even  alienated 
from  the  affections,  or  her  duties  in  life,  is  mingled  with 
her  devotion.  My  family,  like  its  female  head,  has  ever 
been  deeply  impressed  by  religion;  but  it  is  religion  in  its 
most  pleasing  aspect;  religion  that  has  no  taint  of  puritan- 
ism,  and  in  which  sin  and  innocent  gayety  are  never  con- 
founded. It  is  the  most  cheerful  family  of  my  acquaint- 
ance; and  this,  I  must  implicitly  believe,  solely  because,  in 
addition  to  the  bounties  it  enjoys,  under  the  blessing  of 
God,  it  draws  the  just  distinction  between  those  things  that 
the  word  of  God  has  prohibited,  and  those  which  come  from 
the  excited  and  exaggerated  feelings  of  a  class  of  theo- 
logians, who,  constantly  preaching  the  doctrine  of  faith, 
have  regulated  their  moral  discipline  solely,  as  if,  in  their 
hearts,  they  placed  all  their  reliance  on  the  efficacy  of  a 
school  of  good  works  that  has  had  its  existence  in  their  own 
diseased  imaginations.  I  feel  the  deepest  gratitude  to  Lucy 
for  having  instilled  the  most  profound  sense  of  their  duties 
into  our  children,  while  they  remain  totally  free  from  cant, 
and  from  those  exaggerations  and  professions  which  so  many 
mistake  for  piety  of  purer  emanation. 

Some  of  my  readers  may  feel  a  curiosity  to  know  how 
time  has  treated  us  elderly  people,  for  elderly  we  have  cer- 
tainly become.  As  for  myself,  I  enjoy  a  green  old  age,  and 
I  believe  look  at  least  ten  years  younger  than  I  am.  This 
I  attribute  to  temperance  and  exercise.  Lucy  was  positively 
an  attractive  woman  until  turned  of  fifty,  retaining  even  a 
good  deal  of  her  bloom  down  to  that  period  of  life.  I  think 
her  handsome  still;  and  old  Neb,  when  in  a  flattering 
humor,  is  apt  to  speak  of  either  of  my  daughters  as  his 
"  handsome  young  missus,"  and  of  my  wife  as  his  "  hand- 
some ole  missus." 

And  why  should  not  Lucy  Hardinge  continue  to  retain 
many  vestiges  of  those  charms  which  rendered  her  so  lovely 


47^  MILES    WALLINGFORD. 

in  youth?  Ingenuous,  pure  of  mind,  sincere,  truthful, 
placid,  and  just,  the  soul  could  scarcely  fail  to  communicate 
some  of  its  blessed  properties  to  that  countenance  which 
even  now  so  sensitively  reflects  its  best  impulses.  I  repeat, 
Lucy  is  still  handsome,  and  in  my  eyes  even  her  charming 
daughters  are  less  fair.  That  she  has  so  long  been,  and  is 
still  my  wife,  forms  not  only  the  delight,  but  the  pride  of 
my  life.  It  is  a  blessing,  for  which,  I  am  not  ashamed  to 
say,  I  daily  render  thanks  to  God,  on  my  knees. 


THE  END. 


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